Arizona Wildcats football
Current season
First season	1899
Athletic director	Jim Livengood
Head coach	Mike Stoops
	6th year, 31–36  (.463)
Home stadium	Arizona Stadium
Stadium capacity	57,803
Stadium surface	Bermuda Grass
Location	Tucson, Arizona
Conference	Pacific Ten
All-time record	546–402–33 (.573)
Postseason bowl record	6–7–1
Claimed national titles	0
Conference titles	6
Heisman winners	0
Consensus All-Americans	13
Current uniform
Colors	Cardinal Red and Navy Blue
Fight song	Fight! Wildcats! Fight! (official) Bear Down, Arizona! (unofficial)
Rivals	Arizona State Sun Devils
Website	ArizonaAthletics.com

The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific Ten Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.

[edit] History

[edit] Early years

The football team began at the University of Arizona in 1899 under the nickname "Varsity". James "Pop" McKale became the first coach of Arizona football history. On Nov. 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".

In 1921, Drop-kicker/receiver Harold "Nosey" McClellan leads the nation in scoring with 124 points. Wildcats finish the regular season 7-1, are 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.On October 18, 1926 UA quarterback and student body president John "Button" Salmon dies from injuries sustained in a car wreck. His final words, spoken to coach "Pop" McKale, are: "Tell them.....tell the team to Bear Down." Soon thereafter, the UA student body adopts "Bear Down" as the school's athletic motto. On October 18, 1929, Arizona opened up Arizona Stadium for college football play. They won there first game against Cal tech with a shut out score of 25-0. Coach Gerald "Tex" Oliver's "Blue Brigade" plays an expanded, more nationwide schedule, Arizona produced there first all-americans under coach Gerald Tex. The team's 1938 record of 8-2 was a school best to date.

In 1954,Under coach Warren B. Woodson Arizona was lead by Starting Halfback Art Luppino. He went to lead the nation in rushing, scoring, all-purpose running, and kickoff returns. Art Luppino becomes the first player in NCAA history to lead the nation in rushing twice. He also ties for the national title in all-purpose running and is third in scoring.

During their time in the WAC conference the Wildcats compile back-to-back 9-2 seasons under Coach Jim Young's, UA's first nine-win campaigns. Receiver Theopolis "T" Bell is named All-America and fullback Jim Upchurch becomes the second Wildcat to rush for 1,000 yards for two consecutive seasons.

[edit] Desert Swarm and Dick Tomey era

In 1992, Arizona's "Desert Swarm"defense is born. Under Coach Dick Tomey his "Desert Swarm" defense was characterized by tough, hard-nosed tactics. UA leads 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 University of Miami Hurricanes in the 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 #1 and had been picked by Sports Illustrated and several other publications to win the National Championship. However, Arizona was stunned by Colorado State and the rest of the season went down along with it. In 1998, the team posted a school-record 12–1 season and made the Holiday Bowl in which it defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Arizona ended that season ranked 4th nationally in the coaches and API 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 (the current record belongs to the 2005 Alamo Bowl between Michigan and Nebraska).After a few average years Dick tomey resigned.

[edit] Post Dick Tomey and revivial

After Dick Tomey's leave Arizona Wildcats football went on a decline. Arizona showed decline in wins and went on a bowl game drought. Arizona later hired coach Mike Stoops to take over the wildcats program. Under Stoops,Arizona started 6-18,his job was in critical danger and his margin for error was very thin. However in 2006, Stoops led the Wildcats to an improved 6-6 record, the first non-losing season for the school since 1998 when the Wildcats went 12-1 under Dick Tomey.In 2008 the Wildcats earned their first bowl berth under Stoops, defeating BYU by the score 31-21, Arizona's first bowl appearance since the school's decisive victory over Nebraska in the 1998 Holiday Bowl which capped a 12-1 season.In 2009 the Wildcats earned their second straight bowl birth and a second straight 8 win season. Arizona will play Nebraska in a rematch of the 1998 Holiday Bowl.

[edit] Conference Titles

Note: bold years indicate outright conference titles

[edit] Bowl Games

[edit] Trophy Game

• Territorial Cup - Arizona State

Current Holder from the 2009 matchup - The University of Arizona

[edit] Logos and uniforms

The team may use any combinations of its three jerseys and three pants. So far in the 2009 season, the Wildcats have worn blue-white, red-blue, red-white and all-red at home, while they have worn all three away combinations.

[edit] Individual Award Winners

[edit] Retired Jerseys

[edit] College Football Hall of Famers

[edit] Arizona Past All-Star players in NFL & CFL

[edit] See also

• List of Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association football champions

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Arizona Wildcats football

• Official website