‘I’ve never seen anyone like him’: Skattebo powers Sacramento State past Utah Tech
Cameron Skattebo had one scholarship offer come during his otherwise outlandish high school football career.
Never mind that he rumbled and bolted for 6,192 career yards and 69 touchdowns in a town that revered him, or that he was known as a great teammate, that he was a good student, that he seemed to make plays.
One offer.
The Rio Linda High School product was deemed too small, or not quite quick enough or whatever. What was overlooked, it is abundantly clear now, were instincts and sheer desire. Troy Taylor recognized that. The Sacramento State coach was the one who tendered an offer for Skattebo to further his football run. He jumped at the chance.
Now a muscled 5-foot-10, 212-pound sophomore, Skattebo offered up a glimpse of what he can unleash on any given Saturday and what so many others missed out. He had his fingerprints all over the No. 7-ranked Hornets’ 56-33 rout of Utah Tech on Saturday night in a season opener at Fred Anderson Field.
He delivered the same sort of nonsense at Rio Linda as a big-time talent for a small-town program. He rushed for a Sacramento State personal-best 153 yards on just 10 carries — that’s a 15.3 average for you non-math majors — and he pulled away for a 57-yard scoring romp. He rarely caught the ball in high school but he’s a target now because Taylor wants his backs to be versatile, so there was Skattebo collecting four passes for 30 yards. None were more emphatic than his 19-yarder from Asher O’Hara, where he had an open lane to the end zone but wanted to make sure he lowered his shoulder and blasted into a defender on his way to that touchdown.
That score put Sacramento State up 21-0. Why seek contact when he didn’t need it? Well, he’s not wired that way. Skattebo is the sort of guy who’d giddily crash into people at a concert, just to feel like he’s arrived.
“It’s nerves,” Skattebo said of his contact thinking. “I have this nervous thing about me until I’m able to hit someone in a game, and then it felt good. That initial hit on someone makes me feel good.”
So imagine Skattebo’s glee on his final touchdown, which was as remarkable of a play as I’ve seen by a Hornets player in the 30 years watching or covering this program.
Utah Tech attempted an onside kick with 8:58 left to play, trailing 49-26. Stattebo wasn’t about to allow any momentum for the Trailblazers. A member of the hands team, Skattebo anticipated where the onside bounce would occur, raced up, scooped up the goods and bolted for the end zone. Naturally, he delighted in the fact that it took six Utah Tech players to try and corral and slow him down, anything to prevent his entry into the end zone. He carried half the Utah Tech team into the end zone to cap a 43-yard kickoff return, sending the sideline into a frenzy.
Skattebo is reason enough for more fans to come watch this product live. You want action? That’s the bearded dude with curly hair and unsuspecting shy grins.
“I love watching Skat,” O’Hara said, grinning. “I’ve never seen anyone like him. Can’t bring him down, as you saw the kicker tried.”
Skattebo is as humble as he is electrifying. He didn’t think his effort was anything extraordinary. But it was. It was exceptional. An NFL scout was on hand and raised his eyebrows, saying, “kid can play”
“I like to win,” Skattebo said. “Coach Taylor brought me here for a reason. There’s a competitive spirit there I dig down inside to get. It’s no fun losing. I do what I’m told and what comes, comes.”
Skattebo said he was inspired by Sacramento State’s honorary captain for this game. It was Bobby Jackson, the energizer fan favorite for the Kings. Skattebo is Jackson’s sort of player: relentless. Skattebo takes none of this for granted. Not the scholarship. Not the chance to start last season. Not the chance to start again. None of it.
“Coach Taylor was the only one who gave me that opportunity (to play in college),” Skattebo said. “I had to take it. One guy was all it took.”
Taylor said he’s delighted to have Skattebo at his disposal. What next? Line him up at nose guard? You never know. He might not even be blockable.
“When we saw him in high school, it was a slam dunk,” Taylor said. “I couldn’t believe everyone wasn’t offering a scholarship. He has a great spirit, talent, a real zest for life and football. This was a no-brainer to get him. We’ve got to get this guy. Now he’s returning kickoffs for touchdowns.”
Added Taylor on Skattebo’s feel for the game, “What great players do, they anticipate and make great things happen. Nothing surprised me what he’s been able to accomplish here. It’s his spirit. Talk about Bobby Jackson, that’s what made him great.”
The defensive play of the night was also rooted in anticipation. In his first game for the Hornets, former Folsom High star Caleb Nelson returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown on fourth down to make it 14-0. It was his first such play at any level.
“I wanted to high-five him as he went by,” Taylor said.
Said Nelson, “It felt slow as the play developed, and when I had the opportunity, I jumped on it.”
Sacramento State rushed for 378 yards, the most for the Hornets in 20 seasons. Taylor said the offensive line was “incredible” and “dominated.” O’Hara agreed. Same with Skattebo. O’Hara rotated with Jake Dunniway, as they did last season during a repeat Big Sky Conference championship run, and both delivered.
O’Hara had two touchdown passes and rushed for 101 yards and a score. Dunniway passed for 141 yards and two scores. All-America tight end Marshel Martin had two touchdown catches, and Ariel Ngata led the defense with two sacks.
“I was very pleased,” Taylor said of the team effort. “Were our guys perfect? No, but we were ready to play and showed competitive greatness.”
The poster boy for that statement is Cameron Skattebo.