Skattebo, Arizona State win for playoff berth

COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

Sun Devils claim Big 12 title against Iowa State

Big_12_Championship_Football_76914--cfec1_1087363852.jpg

Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) sprints to the end zone for a touchdown in the second half of the Big 12 Conference championship game against Iowa State in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday.

Image

ARLINGTON, Texas >> Cam Skattebo ran for 170 yards and two scores while adding a touchdown catch as 12th-ranked Big 12 newcomer Arizona State beat No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 in the conference championship game Saturday for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

The Sun Devils (11-2, No. 15 CFP), with their 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham, will be the only Big 12 team in the expanded playoff field after being the preseason pick to finish at the bottom of their new 16-team league. They have a six-game winning streak.

Iowa State (10-3, No. 16 CFP), which already had the first 10-win season in the program’s 133-year history, trailed 24-10 before turnovers in its own territory on its first three drives after halftime. Arizona State capitalized with freshman Sam Leavitt throwing touchdowns each time.

Xavier Guillory had TD catches of 8 and 21 yards in a 71-second span, and Skattebo turned a third-down swing pass into a 33-yard score for a 45-10 lead that he punctuated with his second Heisman Trophy pose of the day. Leavitt finished 12 of 17 passing for 219 yards.

MAC

Ohio 38, Miami (Ohio) 3 >> Parker Navarro ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more and Ohio beat Miami (Ohio) in the Mid-American Conference Championship game played at Ford Field.

Ohio will play Conference USA champion Jacksonville State in the Cure Bowl on Dec. 20.

Anthony Tyus rushed for 151 yards and a score on 27 carries to help the Bobcats (10-3) win their first MAC Championship game in six appearances since the title game was introduced in 1997. The win also avenged a 30-20 regular-season loss to the RedHawks (8-5), who they tied for the regular-season MAC title at 7-1.

Prior to the introduction of the league title game, the Bobcats’ last MAC championship came in 1968.

SWAC

Jackson State 41, Southern 13 >> Walter Payton Award finalist Irv Mulligan had 116 yards rushing, Jackson State took control in the third quarter and the Tigers rolled past Southern to win the SWAC Championship.

Jackson State (11-2) claimed the conference title for the fourth time and will play MEAC champion South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 14 in Atlanta.

Southern (8-5) led 10-3 late in the second quarter before Jackson State ended the half on an Emari Matthews 2-yard touchdown run and followed it up with Mulligan’s 1-yard TD run to open the third quarter.

Now leading 17-10, the Tigers added Gerardo Baeza’s 45-yard field goal and Zy McDonald’s 23-yard touchdown run to take a 27-10 lead into the fourth quarter.

Jackson State wrapped up the conference title with two touchdowns in the final 6 1/2 minutes.

The Jaguars’ 28-yard field goal by Joshua Griffin in the fourth quarter marked the end of a six-game streak in which Jackson State had not allowed a point in the final period. Also, Southern was only the third team since Oct. 5 to score in the second half against Jackson State.