By james art
JOHN MARSHALL Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. — Cam Scatebo puts Newton’s second law of motion into practice every time he touches the ball.
A law is an equation that states, in layman’s terms, that the acceleration of an object depends on its mass and the force acting on it. If something gets in the way, the severity of the collision depends on the amount of mass and the amount of force – the higher the speed or the greater the mass, the greater the crash.
The Skattebo has a low center of gravity table, tree trunk legs and the ability to calculate in a fraction of a second the angles that will create more force. The Arizona State senior running back’s speed comes naturally, accentuated by an unrelenting need to initiate contact.
“If a car gets T-boned, the person getting T-boned will feel it more than the person expecting it,” Scatebo said. “So I always like to initiate the pain, initiate the hit, because I don’t want to feel the pain.”
Skatebo has been dishing out pain ever since he ran full speed into his kneeling older brother Leo in the family’s living room in Northern California. He went on to punt at Rio Linda High School and two seasons at Sacramento State before transferring to Arizona State in 2023.
Skattebo — pronounced Skate-BOO — was a jackhammer during his two seasons in the desert, pounding anyone who dared try to tackle him. He rushed for 788 yards last season while switching multiple positions and has 848 yards with 10 touchdowns in seven games this season.
Skattebo’s 695 yards after rushing and receiving contact are seventh in the FBS, according to Sportradar.
“Mean, aggressive,” Arizona State running backs coach Sean Aguano said, describing Scatebo’s running style. “His contact balance is elite. He finishes his runs and I like his positive lean body.”
Scatebo’s father, Leo, taught his sons to be flexible from an early age, which Cam has relied on throughout his career.
When Arizona State was plagued by injuries last season, Scatebo became the Sun Devil of Swiss Army. His primary role, of course, was running back, but he also had 50 snaps at quarterback lined up at slot and wide receiver, had two snaps at tight end and occasionally chipped in on punt and punt return teams.
Skattebo also showed some punch as a punter, averaging 42.3 yards on eight kicks, including three over 50. He was one of three players nationally with at least eight punts that did not return a kick.
“His biggest strength is his football IQ,” Aguano said. “He understands everything from blocking schemes to defensive schemes to route schemes.”
Overcoming agony may be Skatebo’s default, but he’s also elusive—when he wants to be.
Exceptional vision combined with the footwork and balance of a dancer allows Skattebo to change directions quickly, often leaving defenders grasping for air behind him.
A game against Utah on Oct. 11 showcased Skatebo’s grit and grace.
Taking a handoff up the middle, the 5-foot-11, 215-pound senior weaves his way past a rushing defender in the hole and leaves another defender swinging with another quick cut. He ducked through one tackler, deflected a rush from another, then used his arm to keep his balance.
Skattebo capped the 50-yard touchdown drive by picking off one last defender before rushing to the end zone.
“That’s what I strive to do, never be one person,” Scatebaugh said.
Scatebo’s law of motion makes this almost impossible.