Arizona Wildcats football
Arizona Wildcats football | |||
---|---|---|---|
| |||
First season | 1899 | ||
Athletic director | Dave Heeke | ||
Head coach |
Rich Rodriguez 6th season, 36–29 (.554) | ||
Other staff | See Coaching staff section | ||
Stadium |
Arizona Stadium (Capacity: 55,675[1]) | ||
Year built | 1927 | ||
Field surface | FieldTurf | ||
Location | Tucson, Arizona | ||
NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
Conference | Pac-12 (since 1978) | ||
Division | South (since 2011) | ||
Past conferences |
Independent (1899–1930) Border (1931–1961) WAC (1962–1977) | ||
All-time record | 601–552–33 (.521) | ||
Bowl record | 9–10–1 (.475) | ||
Conference titles | 6 (1933, 1934, 1941, 1964, 1973, 1993) | ||
Division titles | 1 (2014) | ||
Rivalries |
Arizona State (rivalry) New Mexico (rivalry) | ||
Consensus All-Americans | 16[2] | ||
Current uniform | |||
Colors |
Cardinal Red and Navy Blue[3] | ||
Fight song | Fight! Wildcats! Fight! | ||
Mascot | Wilbur the Wildcat | ||
Marching band | The Pride of Arizona | ||
Outfitter | Nike | ||
Website | ArizonaWildcats.com |
The Arizona Wildcats football program represents the University of Arizona in the sport of American college football. Arizona competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the South Division of the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12). The Wildcats are currently led by head coach Rich Rodriguez.
Arizona officially began competing in intercollegiate football in 1889. The school joined the Pac-10 Conference in 1978 alongside rival Arizona State, and became a member of the Pac-12 South Division when the conference realigned in 2011. Arizona has won six conference championships, including the 1993 Pac-10 title, and have appeared in 38 bowl games.
Arizona's home stadium is Arizona Stadium, which opened in 1939 and has a capacity of 55,675. Arizona's archrival is in-state foe Arizona State Sun Devils. The Wildcats and Sun Devils meet annually in the Territorial Cup.
At the completion of the 2016 season, Arizona's all-time record is 601–552–33. With the recent tenure of Rich Rodriguez starting in 2012, the Wildcats have compiled a 36–29 record including 3 bowl wins.
History
Early history (1899–1951)
The varsity football program at the University of Arizona began in 1899, though the Wildcats nickname was not adopted until later.[4][5] Stuart Forbes became the first head coach of Arizona football history and the team compiled a 1–1–1 record.[6] From 1900 to 1901, William W. Skinner served as head football coach at the University of Arizona.[7] While there, he also studied geology. He guided Arizona to 3–1 and 4–1 records, respectively.[7] On November 7, 1914, the team traveled to the west coast to play Occidental, then one of the reigning gridiron powers in California. Occidental won 14–0. Arizona later received the name "Wildcats" after a Los Angeles Times correspondent, Bill Henry, wrote that "The Arizona men showed the fight of wildcats".[8] Pop McKale was a very successful high school coach in the Tucson area when he was hired at UA.[9] In 1921, Drop-kicker/receiver Harold "Nosey" McClellan led the nation in scoring with 124 points. Wildcats finished the regular season 7–1, and were invited to UA's first bowl game, the East-West Christmas Classic in San Diego, to play powerhouse Centre College of Kentucky; Arizona lost the game 38–0. The Wildcats did not compete in football in 1918 due to World War I. On October 18, 1926 UA quarterback and student body president John "Button" Salmon died from injuries sustained in a car wreck. His final words, spoken to coach "Pop" McKale, were: "Tell them.....tell the team to Bear Down."[10] Soon thereafter, the UA student body adopted "Bear Down" as the school's athletic motto. On October 18, 1929, Arizona opened up Arizona Stadium for college football play. They won their first game against Caltech with a shutout score of 25–0. McKale retired after sixteen seasons at Arizona. The McKale Center, the University of Arizona's home basketball venue, was opened in 1973 and named in McKale's honor.[9]
Fred Enke replaced McKale as head coach of the Wildcats and in one season as head coach, he posted a record of 3–5–1[11] before getting demoted to assistant coach. Gus Farwick served as the head football coach at the University of Arizona in 1932, compiling a record of 4–5[12] before his resignation. Tex Oliver coached the Arizona Wildcats to a 32–11–4 record in five seasons.[13] During that stretch, his teams never had a losing season.[13] Oliver's "Blue Brigade" played an expanded, more nationwide schedule, and Arizona produced their first All-Americans under Oliver. The team's 1938 record of 8–2 was a school best to date.[13] Oliver resigned after the 1937 season to accept the head football coach position at Oregon.[14]
Orian Landreth replaced Oliver and struggled in his one season as head coach, compiling a 3–6 record[15] before he was fired. That season was the first losing season for the Wildcats in several years. Miles Casteel came to Arizona from his post as an assistant coach at Michigan State. In his eight seasons (Arizona did not field football teams in 1943 or 1944 due to World War II), Casteel compiled a 46–26–3 record and led the Wildcats to the first bowl berth in three decades in his final season, a loss in the 1949 Salad Bowl to Drake.[16] Robert Winslow served as Arizona's head football coach for three seasons, posting a record of 12–18–1, with the team improving every year under his tutelage, going 2–7–1, 4–6 and 6–5 in Winslow's three years.[17] Winslow resigned after three seasons.
Warren Woodson (1952–1956)
In 1954, under coach Warren Woodson, who came to Arizona from Hardin-Simmons, the Wildcats were led by starting halfback Art Luppino. He went on to lead the nation in rushing, scoring, all-purpose running, and kickoff returns.[18] Luppino became the first player in NCAA history to lead the nation in rushing twice.[18] He also tied for the national title in all-purpose running and was third in scoring.[18] Woodson was replaced after five seasons and a 26–22–2 record[19] and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1989.
Ed Doherty (1957–1958)
Ed Doherty came to Arizona from his post as an assistant coach for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.[20] In two seasons, Doherty compiled a record of 4–15–1[21] before getting fired. Doherty is the only person to serve as head football coach at both Arizona and archrival Arizona State.
Jim LaRue (1959–1966)
Jim LaRue, formerly running backs coach at Houston, was hired to take over the Arizona Wildcats football program as head coach after Doherty's firing. LaRue's 1961 team finished 8–1–1 and finished the season ranked #17 in the final AP Poll.[22] After that season, Arizona joined the Western Athletic Conference and LaRue's teams posted records of 5–5, 5–5, 6–3–1, 3–7 and 3–7 before LaRue was fired, largely because of the sub-par on-the-field performances but also pressure from fans and alumni.[22][23]
Darrell Mudra (1967–1968)
Darrell Mudra came to Arizona from North Dakota State and breathed life into a seemingly lifeless Arizona football program.[24] His first team posted a record of 3–6–1 but in his second year, Mudra's Wildcats posted a record of 8–3, capped with a loss in the 1968 Sun Bowl, only the Wildcats third bowl appearance in school history and first since 1949.[25] Mudra left Arizona after two seasons to accept the head football coach position at Western Illinois.[26] His final record is 11–9–1.[24] Mudra was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2000.[24]
Bob Weber (1969–1972)
Bob Weber was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach following Mudra's departure.[27] Under Weber, the Wildcats were 16–26, with their best season being a 5–6 1971 season.[28] Weber failed to post a winning season as Arizona's head coach and was fired after four seasons.
Jim Young (1973–1976)
Jim Young, formerly defensive coordinator at Michigan, was hired to turn around the downtrodden Wildcats football program.[29] Improvement came immediately, as Young's team surprised the nation with an 8–3 record in his first season.[30] Young's Wildcats went on to post records of 9–2 in 1974 and 1975, the latter ending with a #13 and #18 ranking in the Coaches' and AP Polls, respectively.[30] In a rebuilding year, Young's team posted a 5–6 record in 1976 to cap Young's mark of 31–13 in four seasons.[30] Young departed Arizona after the 1976 season to accept the head football coach position at Purdue.[31] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1999.
Tony Mason (1977–1979)
Tony Mason came to Arizona from Cincinnati.[32] Under Mason, the Wildcats went 5–7, 5–6 and 6–5–1 for a grand total of 16–18–1.[33] In Mason's third and final season, the Wildcats played in the Fiesta Bowl, a game they lost.[33] Mason retired as head coach after three seasons.[34]
Larry Smith (1980–1986)
Larry Smith, previously head coach at Tulane, was hired to take over the Arizona football program after Mason's retirement.[35] His first season was Arizona's third in the Pac-12 Conference. Smith put great emphasis on in-state recruiting, built up the rivalry game with ASU, and focused the team on what he called "running and hitting". His first team went 5–6, including a 44–7 blowout loss to ASU; it would be his only losing season at Arizona. The highlight of the season was a 23-17 upset of 2nd ranked UCLA (the Bruins were poised to become #1 as top ranked Alabama had lost earlier in the day).[36] The team improved to 6–5 during his second season, highlighted by a major 13–10 upset of #1 USC on the road.[37] Under his leadership, the Wildcats became competitive in the conference, began dominating the rivalry with the Sun Devils, and culminated with consecutive bowl appearances in the 1985 Sun Bowl, where a tie with Georgia gave the Wildcats an 8–3–1 record, and the 1986 Aloha Bowl, where a victory over North Carolina allowed the Wildcats to finish with a 9–3 record in his final season.[36] Smith's tenure with the Wildcats ended with a 48–28–3 record. Seven Arizona players earned All-America honors during his tenure, including two-time consensus All-American linebacker Ricky Hunley and All-Americans linebacker Lamonte Hunley (Ricky's younger brother), Morris Trophy-winning center Joe Tofflemire, safety Allan Durden, placekicker Max Zendejas, linebacker Byron Evans, and safety Chuck Cecil. Over twenty of Smith's Wildcats players went on to play professionally.[36] Smith departed after the 1986 season to accept the head football coach position at USC.[38]
Dick Tomey era (1987–2000)
Dick Tomey came to Arizona from Hawaii.[39] During his tenure, he coached five future NFL first-round draft choices, 20 All-Americans, and 43 Pac-10 first team players.
His best teams were in the mid-1990s, highlighted by a tenacious "Desert Swarm" defense. He led Arizona to the only two ten-win seasons in school history, highlighted by a 12–1 campaign in 1998, in which they finished fourth in both major polls, the highest ranking in school history. Unfortunately, the Wildcats were drubbed in the 1999 season opener against Penn State and never recovered; Tomey resigned after the 2000 season.[40] His 95 wins are the most in Wildcats history.
In 1992, Coach Tomey's "Desert Swarm" defense was characterized by tough, hard-nosed tactics. UA led the nation in scoring defense and nose guard Rob Waldrop is a consensus All-American. In 1993, the team had its first 10-win season and beat the Miami Hurricanes in the 1994 Fiesta Bowl by a score of 29–0. It was the bowl game's only shutout in its then 23-year history. In 1994, Arizona was ranked #6. However, Arizona was stunned by Colorado State and the rest of the season went down along with it, continuing a streak of not being selected for the Rose Bowl. Arizona to this day, is the only team in the original Pac-10 that has never played in the Rose Bowl Game.
In 1998, the team posted a school-record 12–1 season and made the Holiday Bowl in which it defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers.[41] Arizona ended that season ranked fourth nationally in the coaches and Associated Press poll. The 1998 Holiday Bowl was televised on ESPN and set the now-surpassed record of being the most watched of any bowl game in that network's history.
In 2000, Tomey's Wildcats suffered a season-ending 30–17 loss to Arizona State, the Wildcats' primary arch-rival. Dick Tomey resigned under pressure after fourteen seasons as head coach of the Wildcats.[42] The Wildcat football declined in wins and went on a bowl game drought over the next several years.
John Mackovic (2001–2003)
Former Illinois and Texas head coach John Mackovic was hired to replace Tomey.[43] Tomey had been serving as a college football analyst at ESPN at the time of his hiring.
Mackovic served a disastrous tenure as head coach during this period; he alienated his players and never posted a winning record in two and one-half seasons in Tucson, with a 10–18 record (a .357 winning percentage).[44] Midway through the 2002 season, Mackovic told tight end Justin Levasseur that he was a disgrace to his family. This and other incidents led 40 players (including future Pro Bowler Lance Briggs) to hold a secret meeting with school president Peter Likins. The players complained about Mackovic's constant verbal abuse, such as an ugly tirade after a loss to Wisconsin. Mackovic offered a public apology to his players, the university and fans.[45][46]
However, whatever goodwill that he'd managed to restore quickly evaporated a season later; quarterback Nic Costa said that despite a very talented roster, many players had lost their love for the game due to Mackovic's brusque manner. Five games into the 2003 season, Mackovic was fired and replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz.[47] School officials said they had to act because it was obvious the Wildcats would not win with Mackovic at the helm.[48]
Mike Stoops (2004–2011)
In 2004, Arizona hired Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, brother of famed Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops, to take over the Wildcat program.[49] Under Stoops, Arizona started 6–18;[50] his job was in critical danger and his margin for error was very thin. However, in his third season in 2006, Stoops led the Wildcats to an improved 6–6 record,[50] the first non-losing season for the school since 1998 when the Wildcats went 12–1. In 2008, the Wildcats earned their first bowl berth in a decade, defeating BYU by a score of 31–21.[51] In 2009, the Wildcats earned their second straight bowl berth and a second straight eight-win season.[50] On November 21, 2009, the Oregon Ducks came to Arizona Stadium in a game that would decide which team went to the Rose Bowl. ESPN's College GameDay crew dubbed it as the game of the week and ventured down to Tucson to cover it. After a back and forth battle, the Oregon Ducks won in double overtime 44–41 to clinch the Rose Bowl bid.[52] Arizona was defeated 33–0 by Nebraska in a rematch of the 1998 Holiday Bowl.[50][53] Following the Holiday Bowl, offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes left the Wildcat program to become the head coach at Louisiana Tech,[54] and defensive coordinator Mark Stoops, a brother of Mike, became the defensive coordinator at Florida State.[55] To replace them, Mike Stoops promoted Bill Bedenbaugh and Seth Littrell to co-offensive coordinators, while promoting Tim Kish to be co-defensive coordinators with Greg Brown, who was hired from Colorado. Midway through his eighth season, Stoops was fired as head coach on October 10, 2011, after starting the season 1–5 (the sole victory was against FCS Northern Arizona).[56] Including the prior season, the Wildcats under Stoops had lost 10 consecutive games against FBS opponents, with their last victory over a FBS team taking place nearly a year earlier on October 30, 2010, against UCLA. Tim Kish, the team's defensive coordinator, was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[57] (Stoops returned to the Sooner program soon thereafter as defensive coordinator; Kish, who had known the Stoops brothers for many years, followed Stoops and joined the Sooner staff as the linebackers coach.)[58]
Rich Rodriguez (2012–present)
On November 21, 2011, Arizona announced the hiring of Rich Rodriguez, at that time a CBS Sports college football analyst and formerly head coach at Michigan and West Virginia, to replace Stoops.[59] Rodriguez is considered a pioneer of a no huddle, run-oriented version of the spread offense, although a pass-first version was already being implemented by others.[60][61][62] He first developed this offensive approach at Glenville State and refined it during his stops at Tulane with Shaun King, at Clemson with Woodrow Dantzler, and at West Virginia most notably with dual-threat quarterback Pat White. This strategy features frequent use of the shotgun formation. Rodriguez is also credited for inventing the zone read play run out of the shotgun formation.
According to his contract, Rodriguez was scheduled to earn $1.45 million in his first year, $1.5 million in his second, $1.6 million in his third, $1.7 million in his fourth and $1.8 million in his fifth season for a total of $9.55 million over a span of five years.[63] The contract also includes an extra $300,000 per year from Nike, as well as bonuses for academic achievement, BCS rankings, season ticket totals and bowl appearances. There are extra bonuses for milestones such as playing in the BCS title game, playing in any other bowl, and for winning the Pac-12.[64]
Rodriguez' hiring ended a 41-day search for a head coach which started after Mike Stoops was dismissed after eight seasons as Wildcat head coach. Following West Virginia's victory in the 2012 Orange Bowl, Mountaineers defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel, who coached under Rodriguez during his tenure there, departed WVU's staff to join Rodriguez' staff as the Wildcats' defensive coordinator.[65] An official announcement, and Casteel's formal introduction to the Tucson media, was made on January 13, 2012. Casteel is considered one of the top defensive coaches in the nation, and considered master of the 3–3–5 "odd stack" defense.[66]
In his first season, Rodriguez took the Wildcats to the 2012 New Mexico Bowl, where they defeated Nevada.[67] The Wildcats finished the 2012 campaign with a (8–5, 4–5 Pac-12) record.[67]
In his second season, Rodriguez took the Wildcats to the 2013 AdvoCare V100 Bowl, where they defeated Boston College.[68] The Wildcats finished the 2013 campaign with a (8–5, 4–5 Pac-12) record.
In 2014, Rich Rodriguez led the Wildcats to a 10-3 regular season, behind generally solid team performance, including efforts from freshman QB Anu Solomon, sophomore LB Scooby Wright (who earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year among other honors), senior RB Terris Jones-Grigsby and freshman RB Nick Wilson.The Wildcats won the Pac-12 South Division, the first divisional championship in program history, advancing to the 2014 Pac-12 Football Championship Game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, where they were defeated by the Oregon Ducks, 51-13.[69] The Wildcats earned a berth in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl, the school's third major-bowl appearance, where they faced the Boise State Broncos. Arizona lost the game to Boise State, 38–30. The Wildcats finished the 2014 season with a record of 10–4 (7–2 Pac-12), achieving only the second 10-win regular season in program history; the Wildcats also finished the season ranked #17 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and #19 in the AP Poll.
In his fourth year as the head coach, Rodriguez's Wildcats finished with a record of 7–6 (3–6 Pac-12).[70]
Head coaching history
The current head coach of Arizona Wildcats football is Rich Rodriguez who hired in 2012.
Years | Coach | Record |
---|---|---|
1899 | Stuart Forbes | 1–1–1 |
1900–1901 | William W. Skinner | 7–2 |
1902 | Leslie Gillette | 5–0 |
1904 | Orin A. Kates | 3–1–2 |
1905 | William M. Ruthrauff | 5–2 |
1908–1909 | H. B. Galbraith | 8–1 |
1910–1911 | George F. Shipp | 8–1–1 |
1912 | Raymond L. Quigley | 2–1 |
1913 | Frank A. King | 2–2 |
1914–1930 | Pop McKale | 81–32–6 |
1931 | Fred Enke | 3–5–1 |
1932 | August W. Farwick | 4–5 |
1933–1937 | Tex Oliver | 32–11–4 |
1938 | Orian Landreth | 3–6 |
1939–1948 | Miles W. Casteel | 46–26–3 |
1949–1951 | Robert Winslow | 12–18–1 |
1952–1956 | Warren B. Woodson | 26–22–2 |
1957–1958 | Ed Doherty | 4–15–1 |
1959–1966 | Jim LaRue | 41–37–2 |
1967–1968 | Darrell Mudra | 11–9–1 |
1969–1972 | Bob Weber | 16–26 |
1973–1976 | Jim Young | 31–13 |
1977–1979 | Tony Mason | 16–18–1 |
1980–1986 | Larry Smith | 48–28–3 |
1987–2000 | Dick Tomey | 95–64–4 |
2001–2003 | John Mackovic | 10–18 |
2003 | Mike Hankwitz | 1–6 |
2004–2011 | Mike Stoops | 41–50 |
2011 | Tim Kish | 3–3 |
2012–present | Rich Rodriguez | 36–29 |
Totals | Coaches | Seasons | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1899–2017 | 30 | 118 | 601 | 552 | 33 | .521 |
Coaching Records: cfbdatawarehouse.com[71]
Championships
Conference championships
Dating back to their days in the Western Athletic Conference, Arizona has claimed at least a share of six conference titles.
Arizona Conference Championships | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Conference | Coach | Conference Record | Overall Record | |
1935 | Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Tex Oliver | 4–0 | 7–2 | |
1936 | Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Oliver | 3–0–1 | 5–2–3 | |
1941 | Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Miles W. Casteel | 5–0 | 7–3 | |
1964 | Western Athletic Conference | Jim LaRue | 3–1 | 6–3–1 | |
1973 | Western Athletic Conference | Jim Young | 6–1 | 8–3 | |
1993 | Pacific-10 | Dick Tomey | 6–2 | 10–2 | |
Conference Championships | 6 | ||||
Denotes co-champions |
Divisional championships
In 2014, the Wildcats won the South Division and also became the first team to do so outright.
Arizona Divisional Championships | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Division | Coach | Conf Record | Overall Record | Championship Game Result | Opponent |
2014 | Pac-12 South | Rich Rodriguez | 7–2 | 10–2 | L 13–51 | Oregon |
Division Championships | 1 |
All-time bowl results
Arizona football teams have participated in 20 total bowls and have garnered a record of 9–10–1 (.475). Arizona ranks} 16th in all-time bowl appearances with 20, 10th in all-time bowl wins with 9, and 5th in all-time bowl win percentage at .475. On December 30, 2015, Arizona beat the New Mexico Lobos in the New Mexico Bowl with a score of 45–37.
Date (Season) | Bowl | W/L | Opponent | PF | PA | Notes |
December 26, 1921 (1921) | Christmas Classic | L | Centre (D-III) | 0 | 38 | |
January 1, 1949 (1949) | Salad Bowl | L | Drake (FCS) | 13 | 14 | |
December 28, 1968 (1968) | Sun Bowl | L | Auburn | 34 | 10 | |
December 25, 1979 (1979) | Fiesta Bowl | L | Pittsburgh | 16 | 10 | |
December 16, 1985 (1985) | Sun Bowl | T | Georgia | 13 | 13 | |
December 28, 1986 (1986) | Aloha Bowl | W | North Carolina | 30 | 21 | |
December 31, 1989 (1989) | Copper Bowl | W | NC State | 17 | 10 | |
December 25, 1990 (1990) | Aloha Bowl | L | Syracuse | 28 | 0 | |
December 31, 1992 (1992) | Sun Bowl | L | Baylor | 20 | 15 | |
January 1, 1994 (1993) | Fiesta Bowl* | W | Miami | 29 | 0 | Bowl Coalition |
December 27, 1994 (1994) | Freedom Bowl | L | Utah | 16 | 13 | |
December 20, 1997 (1997) | Insight.com Bowl | W | New Mexico | 20 | 14 | |
December 30, 1998 (1998) | Holiday Bowl | W | Nebraska | 23 | 20 | |
December 20, 2008 (2008) | Las Vegas Bowl | W | BYU | 31 | 21 | |
December 30, 2009 (2009) | Holiday Bowl | L | Nebraska | 33 | 0 | |
December 29, 2010 (2010) | Alamo Bowl | L | Oklahoma State | 36 | 10 | |
December 15, 2012 (2012) | New Mexico Bowl | W | Nevada | 49 | 48 | |
December 31, 2013 (2013) | AdvoCare V100 Bowl | W | Boston College | 42 | 19 | |
December 31, 2014 (2014) | Fiesta Bowl** | L | Boise State | 30 | 38 | CFP's New Year Six |
December 19, 2015 (2015) | New Mexico Bowl | W | New Mexico | 45 | 37 | |
Total | 20 bowl games | 9–10–1 (.475) |
* denotes Bowl Coalition game. ** denotes New Year's Six Bowl game.
Rivalries
Arizona State
The main rivalry for the Wildcats are the Arizona State Sun Devils. The rivalry consists of two schools within the state of Arizona and Pac-12 South Division. The "Duel in the Desert", the name of yearly matchup the two schools. Starting in 1899, the Wildcats lost the first matchup 11–2. Arizona won the most recent 2016 meeting 56–35 in Tucson. Arizona currently leads the series at 49–40–1.
New Mexico
A major rival of the Wildcats in the 1900s was against the New Mexico Lobos. The series was intense until the annual matchup was canceled after the 1990 season. Arizona won the 2015 meeting 45-37 at 2015 New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque. Arizona leads the head-to-head series at 44–20–3.
Logos and uniforms
Starting in the 2010 season, Arizona wore new uniforms. They are simplified versions of the uniforms worn from 2005–2009, with the addition of a white helmet with a red-white-blue stripe. The team may use any combination of its two helmets, three jerseys and three pants. On September 29, 2012 the Wildcats unveiled a new copper helmet and for the Territorial Cup game later that season, they unveiled an all-red helmet.
On September 20, 2015, the Wildcats unveiled a new "chrome red" helmet which they will wear in their game on September 26, 2015 against the UCLA Bruins.
Individual accomplishment winners
Major honors
University honors
|
Offensive honors
Coaching Honors
|
Defensive honors
|
Special overall
|
Special Teams
|
Conference awards
|
|
Heisman voting
- Scooby Wright – 2014 (9th)
Hall of Fame Wildcats
College Football Hall of Fame
Player | Pos. | Ind. | Career |
---|---|---|---|
Tedy Bruschi | LB | 2013 | 1991-1995 |
Chuck Cecil | DB | 2009 | 1984–1987 |
Ricky Hunley | LB | 1997 | 1980–1983 |
Darrell Mudra | HC | 2000 | 1967–1968 |
Warren B. Woodson | HC | 1989 | 1952–1956 |
Jim Young | HC | 1999 | 1973–1976 |
Rob Waldrop | DL | 2011 | 1990–1993 |
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The following players are members of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Player | Pos. | Years | CFL Team(s) | Induction |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ted Urness | Center | 1958–60 | Saskatchewan Roughriders (1961-70) | 1989 |
Terry Vaughn | Wide Receiver | 1990–93 | Calgary Stampeders (1995–98) Edmonton Eskimos (1999-2004) Montreal Alouettes (2005) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2006) | 2011 |
Future opponents
Non-division conference opponents
Arizona plays Oregon as a permanent non-division opponent annually and rotates around the North division among the other six schools. Each season Arizona will "miss" six schools from the Pac-12 North division: either Cal or Stanford and one of the four northwest schools. This scheduling cycle repeats after eight seasons.[78]
2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|
California | at Stanford | Stanford | at California | California |
at Oregon State | Oregon State | at Oregon State | at Oregon | Oregon |
Oregon | at Washington | Washington | at Washington | Washington |
at Washington State | at Oregon | Oregon | Washington State | at Washington State |
Non-conference opponents
Announced non-conference schedules as of November 27, 2016.[79]
Season | Date | Opponent | Site |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | September 1 | BYU (P5) | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ |
September 8 | at Houston | TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX | |
September 15 | Southern Utah (FCS) | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
2019 | August 24 | at Hawaii | Aloha Stadium • Honolulu, HI |
September 7 | Northern Arizona (FCS) | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
September 14 | Texas Tech (P5) | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
2020 | September 5 | Hawaii | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ |
September 12 | Portland State (FCS) | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
September 19 | at Texas Tech (P5) | Jones AT&T Stadium • Lubbock, TX | |
2021 | September 2 | vs BYU* (P5) | Sam Boyd Stadium • Las Vegas, NV (Catcus Kickoff) |
September 11 | San Diego State | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
TBD | TBD | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
2022 | September 3 | at San Diego State | Qualcomm Stadium • San Diego, CA |
September 10 | Mississippi State (P5) | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
September 17 | North Dakota State (FCS) | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
2023 | TBD | TBD | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ |
September 9 | at Mississippi State (P5) | Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, MS | |
September 16 | UTEP | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
2024 | TBD | TBD | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ |
TBD | TBD | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
September 14 | at Kansas State (P5) | Bill Snyder Family Stadium • Manhattan, KS | |
2025 | August 30 | at Hawaii | Aloha Stadium • Honolulu, HI |
TBD | TBD | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
September 13 | Kansas State (P5) | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
2026 | TBD | TBD | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ |
September 12 | at BYU (P5) | LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT | |
TBD | TBD | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
2027 | September 4 | at Colorado State | Colorado State Stadium • Fort Collins, CO |
September 11 | BYU (P5) | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
TBD | TBD | TBD • TBD | |
2028 | September 2 | Colorado State | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ |
September 9 | TBD | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
September 16 | at Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | |
2029 | TBD | TBD | TBD • TBD |
September 8 | Virginia Tech (P5) | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
TBD | TBD | TBD • TBD | |
2030 | August 30 | at Virginia Tech | Lane Stadium • Blacksburg, VA |
TBD | TBD | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
TBD | TBD | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
2031 | TBD | TBD | TBD • TBD |
TBD | TBD | TBD • TBD | |
September 13 | Nebraska (P5) | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | |
- Neutral site game
- The 2021 game against BYU will be part of the Catcus Kickoff held at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV[80]
- (P5) Is to denote if a schools is a Power 5 Conference/Notre Dame opponent.
- (FCS) Is for Football Championship Subdivision Teams.
Facilities
Arizona Stadium
Arizona plays its home games at Arizona Stadium, located on the campus in Tucson, AZ.
Lowell-Stevens Football Facility
The 187,000 square foot facility houses the football programs weight room, locker room, medical treatment room, players lounge, cafeteria, coaches' offices, auditorium for team meetings, as well as a media room.[81] The facility also offers 4,200 chair seating, as well as 500 premium seating.[82]
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arizona Wildcats football. |
- List of Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association football champions
- List of Pac-12 Conference football champions
- List of Western Athletic Conference football champions
- Annual Season Results
- Head Coaches
- In the NFL Draft
References
- ↑ "2016 Arizona Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Arizona Athletic Department. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
- ↑ "NCAA Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2014. pp. 13–18. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ↑ "Color". University of Arizona. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ↑ George Moore (March 8, 1938). "47 Years of Arizona Collegiate Football". Arizona Republic. p. 10.
- ↑ "The First Football Team, 1899". University of Arizona. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ↑ "Arizona Football History Database". Nationalchamps.net. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- 1 2 Will Skinner Archived September 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine., College Football Data Warehouse, retrieved June 2, 2010.
- ↑ "Bill Henry – Los Angeles Times". ZoomInfo.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- 1 2 Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star (2011-08-21). "Greg Hansen: 'Pop' was the father of athletics at UA". Azstarnet.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ Gimino, Anthony (2013-07-21). "John Button Salmon taught UA how to ‘bear down’". Azcentral.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ "Fred Enke Coaching Record – College Football at". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ "Gus Farwick Coaching Record – College Football at". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- 1 2 3 "Tex Oliver Coaching Record – College Football at". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ Foster, Chris (April 13, 1988). "Services Set Today for G.A. (Tex) Oliver". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "Orian Landreth Coaching Record – College Football at". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ "Miles Casteel Coaching Record – College Football at". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ "Robert Winslow Coaching Record – College Football at". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- 1 2 3 Gimino, Anthony (2013-08-28). "Top 50 football players in Arizona Wildcats history: No. 5 Art Luppino - AG's Wildcat Report". Tucsoncitizen.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ "Warren Woodson Coaching Record – College Football at". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ "Times Daily - Google News Archive Search".
- ↑ "Edward Doherty Coaching Record – College Football at". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- 1 2 "Reflecting on Arizona coaches as Rodriguez turns 50 today – ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com". Wildaboutazcats.net. 2013-05-24. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ "Ocala Star-Banner - Google News Archive Search".
- 1 2 3 "Former Coach Darrell Mudra Named to Football Hall of Fame - The University of Arizona Official Athletic Site". Arizonawildcats.com. 2000-04-24. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ "Darrell Mudra Coaching Record – College Football at". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑
- ↑ Opinion by Greg Hansen (2008-11-05). "Opinion by Greg Hansen : Former UA football coach 'was a character guy'". Azstarnet.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ "Bob Weber Coaching Record – College Football at". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
- ↑ Star, Arizona Daily. "Strack, who ushered UA into Pac-10 and hired Snowden, dies at 90".
- 1 2 3 "Jim Young Coaching Record - College Football at Sports-Reference.com".
- ↑ "Ex-purdue, Army Coach Finds Happiness As Arizona Assistant". Chicago Tribune. November 6, 1992.
- ↑ "The Tuscaloosa News - Google News Archive Search".
- 1 2 "Tony Mason Coaching Record - College Football at Sports-Reference.com".
- ↑ "Tony Mason Is Hired". The New York Times. July 26, 1981.
- ↑ "Former USC Head Football Coach Larry Smith Dies".
- 1 2 3 Larry Smith: 1939-2008 Archived May 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine., Arizonaathletics.com, January 28, 2008.
- ↑ ARIZONA UPSETS U.S.C., 13-10, Associated Press (The New York Times paid archive, free abstract available), October 11, 1981.
- ↑ Florence, Mal (January 3, 1987). "Larry Smith, the 'Outside' Choice, Named USC Football Coach". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "Tomey Is Coach at Arizona". Los Angeles Times. January 14, 1987.
- ↑ "Loss to ASU end of line for Tomey - Monday November 27, 2000 - The Arizona Daily Wildcat".
- ↑ "Dick Tomey Coaching Record - College Football at Sports-Reference.com".
- ↑ "The Wildcats' longtime coach quits after losing to ASU". CNN.
- ↑ "Sun Journal - Google News Archive Search".
- ↑ "John Mackovic Coaching Record - College Football at Sports-Reference.com".
- ↑ Fish, Mike: "Apologies or No Apologies, Mackovic Has Had It", CNNSI.com, November 15, 2002.
- ↑ Arizona's Mackovic vows to change after player uprising Archived August 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.. Associated Press, 2002-11-15.
- ↑ "Arizona, off to 1-4 start, fires Mackovic". September 29, 2003.
- ↑ Bernstein, Viv. Lack of Communication doomed Mackovic. New York Times, 2003-9-30.
- ↑ "Arizona Hires Mike Stoops". Los Angeles Times. November 30, 2003.
- 1 2 3 4 "Mike Stoops Coaching Record - College Football at Sports-Reference.com".
- ↑ "Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona 31, BYU 21".
- ↑ "Oregon vs. Arizona - Box Score - November 21, 2009 - ESPN".
- ↑ "Arizona vs. Nebraska - Game Recap - December 30, 2009 - ESPN".
- ↑ "Louisiana Tech hires Dykes as new head coach". January 21, 2010.
- ↑ "Fsu's Fisher Works To Fill Coaching Staff".
- ↑ "Arizona axes Stoops as coach after 1-5 start".
- ↑ "Stoops Relieved of Duties" (Press release). University of Arizona Athletics Department. October 10, 2011. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011.
- ↑ Travis Haney (January 25, 2012). "It’s official: Tim Kish will join OU football coaching staff". The Oklahoman. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Arizona announces Rodriguez hire on Twitter".
- ↑ Lang, Arne. "College Coaching Award". Archived from the original on November 20, 2006.
- ↑ Davie, Bob. "Football 101: Mountaineers spread the wealth".
- ↑ May, Tim. "College football: Spread option remains in vogue". Retrieved 2007-08-09.
- ↑ "Rodriguez signs 5-year, $9.55M deal at Arizona".
- ↑ Finley, Patrick (22 November 2011). "UA football: Rodriguez's goal is 'win Rose Bowl'". Arizona Daily Star.
- ↑ Crow, Alfie (January 11, 2012). "Jeff Casteel Reunited With Rich Rodriguez, Named Arizona's Defensive Coordinator".
- ↑ Ryan Finley (January 14, 2012). "UA football: Arizona football: Casteel leaves roots, takes pay cut to fix UA defense". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
- 1 2 Kercheval, Ben (December 15, 2012). "Arizona scores twice in final two minutes to beat Nevada in New Mexico Bowl".
- ↑ "Arizona cruises past Boston College 42-19". CNN.
- ↑ "Oregon dominates Arizona 51-13 to win Pac-12; next stop, playoff".
- ↑ http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/arizona/2015-schedule.html
- ↑ "Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on April 20, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- ↑ "Retirement of jerseys" at Wildcats website Archived April 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Top 50 football players in Arizona Wildcats history: No. 5 Art Luppino". Tucson Citizen. August 28, 2013.
- ↑ "Top 50 football players in Arizona Wildcats history: No. 45, Steve McLaughlin". Tucson Citizen. July 19, 2013.
- ↑ College Football Awards – The Outland Trophy. Football.about.com (April 10, 2012). Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ↑ College Football Awards – Jim Thorpe Award. Football.about.com (April 10, 2012). Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ↑ Previous Winners | PB Sports Commission – Lou Groza. Lougrozaaward.com. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Future Pac-12 Conference Football Schedules Announced" (PDF). Pac12.com. November 5, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 15, 2012.
- ↑ "Arizona Wildcats Football Schedules and Future Schedules". fbschedules.com. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
- ↑ Berk, Daniel (February 3, 2015). "Arizona football: Signing day Wednesday; recruiting class 'solid'". Arizona Daily Star.
- ↑ Gimino, Anthony. "UA: Inside the Lowell-Stevens football facility". AZCentral.com.
- ↑ "The University of Arizona Lowell-Stevens Football Facility".
External links
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