ATLANTA – Kenny Dillingham, Cam Skattebo and Sam Leavitt tried their best to hold back tears as they tried to process what their Arizona State team had just been through. A one-day rollercoaster ride ended heartbreakingly with a 39-31 second-overtime loss to Texas in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday, abruptly ending their College Football Playoff run.

After being just one play away from a stunning upset, Dillingham said he would change a few things about how the Sun Devils’ New Year’s final would play out. But the second-year coach knows his players left no doubt that they deserved to compete with the best.

“I think a lot of people have questioned that,” Dillingham said, “and I don’t think anyone is questioning whether we belong on the field.”

The Sun Devils, projected to finish last in the Big 12 in the league’s preseason poll in July, made a remarkable turnaround from 3-9 to 11-3 in 2024. They secured fourth place and a first-round bye as Big 12 champions despite finishing at No. 12 in the CFP committee’s final rankings.

They seemed overwhelmed early in their first playoff game and quickly fell behind 14-3. But from that point on, Arizona State did almost whatever it took to outscore and outlast the Longhorns.

The Sun Devils outscored their opponents in total offense 510-375. They wore down the Texas defense and controlled the ball for nearly two-thirds of regulation time. They shut down Texas’ strong running game. In the final game of his college career, Skattebo delivered a legendary performance. And in the end, they rallied furiously from a 16-point deficit in the game’s final seven minutes to force overtime.

“We gave everything we had,” said Skattebo.

They had their chance to win, leading 31-24 in the first overtime, but couldn’t make a crucial stop on fourth-and-13, leaving Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden wide open for a 28-yard score. Five games later, the Sun Devils’ season was over. Texas safety Andrew Mukuba intercepted Leavitt’s pass and the No. 5 seed Longhorns survived.

“There are no moral victories at the end of the season,” Dillingham said. “There is no such thing. This should hurt and be painful. The locker room is terrible right now, and it should be. If not, something would be wrong. But at the same time, now that this is over, I’m… I’m really going to challenge our guys to think about where it all started because it’s truly remarkable.”

Skattebo, the Sun Devils’ tireless senior running back who finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, led the way all season with 143 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. He threw a 42-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-2 in the fourth quarter to spark the late rally, then fired up the Longhorns for a 62-yard reception on Arizona State’s next drive. He finished the game with eight catches for 99 yards. Despite the loss, Skattebo earned Peach Bowl Offensive MVP honors.

“He’s a special player,” Dillingham said. “It’s just Cam. Bottom line, it’s exactly what I expected. When you give him the ball, crazy things happen.”

Towards the end of the third quarter, Skattebo threw up on the sideline between offensive possessions. He told reporters that he drank too much water too quickly and felt “wobbly” and felt much better afterward.

“Barf and collect yourself,” Dillingham said jokingly.

“That’s where it all started,” Skattebo said. “I had a difficult first half and didn’t feel particularly good. It was a completely different game in the second half.”

The Longhorns limited Skattebo to 45 rushing yards in the first half, but Arizona State still managed extended offense against one of the FBS’ best defenses. Three drives into Texas territory were stopped on fourth-down stops, and another ended in a missed field goal attempt.

“We actually moved the ball pretty effectively,” Leavitt said. “We just had to convert in the red zone. I take responsibility for a lot of things that happened.”

But the redshirt freshman quarterback also kept the Sun Devils in the game throughout the game, throwing for 222 yards on a 52% pass rate and repeatedly running and running from the Texas defense, gaining 60 yards on his 13 carries .

Leavitt’s team got hot when it mattered most, finishing with a six-game winning streak in the Big 12 Championship. And the Sun Devils did it again at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, starting with a safety midway through the third quarter that helped lead to three consecutive points to tie the score.

Dillingham said he regretted not putting his players in better positions to take advantage of their scoring opportunities, and he took the blame for the cover zero call that Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers made for the 28-yard Score for Golden struck. Dillingham knows his team fought hard enough to win.

“We played really, really good football in most games,” Dillingham said. “The problem with football is that some plays were worth a lot more than others. The plays that were worth a lot, they made more of them.”

Those regrets don’t diminish his appreciation for what Arizona State accomplished in his first two years in Tempe. The Sun Devils had a 1-11 record the season before his arrival. He and his coaches tried their best to rebuild a culture and a roster that was competitive. In just 24 months they built a competitor.

After a head-to-head matchup and two overtimes with a Texas team that ranks among the best in the world, Dillingham knows it has plenty to be proud of.

“I hate losing more than anyone,” Dillingham said, “but now that it’s over you can reflect on it, and where these guys have gotten is an incredible testament to the team. But my goodness, that sucks.”

After their last game together, Skattebo and Leavitt held hands during their postgame press conference. They helped each other get through the pain while trying to put a spotlight on a special season that exceeded their wildest expectations.

“This is just the beginning for us,” said Skattebo. “No matter what happens, these guys will be in my life forever. It’s great that I was able to play football for and with them.”