ATLANTA -- Kenny Dillingham, Cam Skattebo and Sam Leavitt tried their best to hold back tears as they attempted to process what their Arizona State squad just endured. A day-long roller-coaster ride ended in heartbreak with a 39-31 loss in double overtime to Texas in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday, abruptly concluding their College Football Playoff run.

After coming up one play short of a stunning upset, Dillingham said he had plenty he'd like to change about how the Sun Devils' New Year's Day finale played out. But the second-year coach knows his players left no doubt they deserved to compete with the best.

"I think a lot of people were questioning that," Dillingham said, "and I don't think any person questions if we belonged on the field."

The Sun Devils, predicted to finish last in the Big 12 in the league's preseason poll in July, achieved a remarkable turnaround from 3-9 to 11-3 in 2024. They earned the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye as the Big 12 champion despite finishing No. 12 in the final CFP committee rankings.

They looked overmatched early in their first playoff game, quickly falling behind 14-3. But from that point forward, Arizona State did almost everything it needed to do to outplay and outlast the Longhorns.

The Sun Devils outgained their foe 510-375 in total offense. They wore down Texas' defense, controlling the ball for nearly two-thirds of regulation. They shut down Texas' powerful run game. They got a legendary performance from Skattebo in the final game of his college career. And in the end, they furiously rallied from a 16-point deficit in the game's final seven minutes to force overtime.

"We gave everything we had," Skattebo said.

They had their chance to win, leading 31-24 in the first overtime, but couldn't get a game-clinching stop on fourth-and-13 and let Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden get wide open for a 28-yard score. Five plays later, the Sun Devils' season was over. Texas safety Andrew Mukuba picked off Leavitt's pass, and the No. 5 seed Longhorns survived.

"There are no moral victories when the season ends," Dillingham said. "There's no such thing. This should hurt and be painful. The locker room is dreadful right now, and it should be. If it wasn't, something would be wrong. But at the same token, now that this is over, I really am going to challenge our guys to reflect on where it all started, because it really is remarkable."

Skattebo, the Sun Devils' relentless senior running back who finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, led the way as he did all season with 143 rushing yards and 2 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 burned the Longhorns for a 62-yard reception on Arizona State's next drive. He finished 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. It's exactly what I expected, bottom line. When you give him the ball, crazy things happen."

Late in the third quarter, Skattebo was vomiting on the sideline between offensive possessions. He told reporters he drank too much water too fast and felt "sloshy," then felt much better afterward.

"Puke and rally," Dillingham said jokingly.

"That's when it all started," Skattebo said. "I had a rough first half, and I wasn't feeling too good. That second half, it was a different ballgame."

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

"We moved the ball pretty effectively, actually," Leavitt said. "We just needed to convert in the red zone. I take accountability for a lot of stuff that happened."

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

Leavitt's team got hot when it mattered most, closing with a six-game win streak for the Big 12 championship. And Sun Devils did it again in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, starting with a safety midway through the third quarter that helped spark a run of three consecutive scoring drives to tie the score.

Dillingham said he regrets not putting his players in better positions to capitalize on their scoring opportunities, and he took the blame for the cover zero call that Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers beat for the 28-yard score to Golden. Dillingham knows his team fought hard enough to win.

"We played really, really good football for most plays," Dillingham said. "The problem with football is 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 detract from his appreciation for what Arizona State has achieved over his first two years in Tempe. The Sun Devils went 1-11 the season before he arrived. He and his coaches tried their best to rebuild a culture and a roster that could be competitive. In just 24 months, they constructed a contender.

After going toe-to-toe and two overtimes with a Texas team that's one of the best in the game, Dillingham knows they have plenty of reasons to be proud.

"I hate to lose more than anybody," Dillingham said, "but now that it's over, you can reflect and where these guys have come is an incredible testament to the team. But, golly, that one sucks."

After their final game together, Skattebo and Leavitt held hands during their postgame news conference. They helped each other push through the pain as they tried to put in perspective a special season that exceeded their wildest expectations.

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