A team in its first year as a part of the Big 12 with a second-year head coach and a transfer quarterback that was picked to finish dead last in the conference after finishing second to last in its old conference just one year earlier.
That describes the unlikely squad that is the Arizona State Sun Devils football team. Head coach Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils found themselves in the conference title game after every odd was set against them.
No. 15 Arizona State went 10-2 in the regular season and faced No. 16 Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship. The Sun Devils never took their foot off the gas and when they already had an impressive 21-point lead, wide receiver Xavier Guillory put the cherry on top.
Xavier Guillory catch of the year???
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 7, 2024
pic.twitter.com/SsrGGWIgAG
The catch set the world of college football on fire as fans shared their shock and awe at the unlikely snag and consequent touchdown.
Back shoulder touchdown catch by Xavier Guillory to make it 38-10 Arizona State over Iowa State, 6:27 3Q.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 7, 2024
Sun Devils WRs stepping up for missing Jordyn Tyson (injury) pic.twitter.com/YpyXXfHEaz
The catch put the Sun Devils up 38-10 after a successful extra point. It followed two forced turnovers (fumble recovery and an interception) by the ASU defense and was quickly followed by yet another fumble recovery just one Iowa State drive later.
WHAT A CATCH XAVIER GUILLORY
— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) December 7, 2024
Arizona State leads Iowa State 38-10 and is well on its way to a Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff berth 🔱#ForksUp
pic.twitter.com/8aWo1Y3vDt
The other heroes of the game for Arizona State? Quarterback Sam Leavitt and running back Cameron Skattebo, who each had 2 touchdowns by the time Guillory found the endzone. During the game, fans finally started giving Skattebo the respect he deserved all season and began including him in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
The winner of the Big 12 Championship game would earn their berth into the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoffs. The loser would go home to wait and see which (non-CFP) bowl game they would end up in.