Arizona State routed Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 championship game Saturday. The victory caught the attention of former alumni from both schools, including San Francisco 49ers teammates Brandon Aiyuk and Brock Purdy.
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Aiyuk, a former receiver for Arizona State, took to social media to call out Purdy, a former quarterback for the Cyclones after ASU won its first conference title since 1996.
“Brock, my brother, let me get that brother,” Aiyuk said in a video posted to his Instagram story. “Let me get that, all blue ,please. Make sure it’s all there too. Thank you.”
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Based on Aiyuk’s comments, it can be inferred the 49ers offensive duo had made a bet on which of their alma maters would take home the Big 12 championship trophy.
Following the dominant victory by Arizona State, the Sun Devils will now wait for their College Football Playoff seeding fate to be revealed. The bracket and seeds for the 12-team tournament will be unveiled Sunday.
ASU put up 464 total yards of offense against the Cyclones. Star running back Cam Skattebo rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt completed 12 of 17 passes for 219 yards and three scores.
Arizona State scored 35 unanswered points in the program’s lights-out victory against ISU.
While the Sun Devils have had an unforgettable season in Kenny Dillingham’s second year as head coach of the program, a series of unfortunate events have transpired for the 49ers.
Aiyuk landed a blockbuster contract extension after the saga of the offseason finally came to an end just days before San Francisco’s season opener. The star receiver signed a four-year, $120 million contract.
By no fault of his own, Aiyuk’s lengthy hold-in was just the tip of the iceberg for the 49ers this season. Star running back Christian McCaffrey then missed the first half of the season after his Achilles tendinitis unfurled into a severe injury.
The gravity of McCaffrey’s injury was serious enough to send McCaffrey to see a specialist in Germany. As the McCaffrey injury saga continued, Aiyuk sustained a season-ending ACL/MCL injury in Week 7.
Since then, McCaffrey returned for just four games before returning to injured reserve. Running back Jordan Mason, who played in 12 games this season, also hit the IR.
Purdy also dealt with an unexpected shoulder injury that sidelined him in Week 12, but he is expected to play this Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
Although the 49ers have endured a trying season, the team camaraderie is evident with Aiyuk’s jest toward Purdy following the Big 12 championship game.
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