1987 Arizona Wildcats football team

Last updated
1987 Arizona Wildcats football
Conference Pacific-10 Conference
1987 record4–4–3 (2–3–3 Pac–10)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDick Tomey (1st season)
Defensive coordinator Larry Mac Duff (1st season)
Home stadium Arizona Stadium
Seasons
  1986
1988  
1987 Pacific-10 Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 18 USC + 7 1 08 4 0
No. 9 UCLA + 7 1 010 2 0
Washington 4 3 17 4 1
No. 20 Arizona State 3 3 17 4 1
Oregon 4 4 06 5 0
Stanford 4 4 05 6 0
Arizona 2 3 34 4 3
California 2 3 23 6 2
Washington State 1 5 13 7 1
Oregon State 0 7 02 9 0
  • + Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1987 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. They were coached by Dick Tomey in his first season with the school. Tomey was hired from Hawaii to replace Larry Smith, who accepted the head coaching position at USC, who like Arizona, was in the Pac-10 Conference. Tomey and Smith would face other later in the season (see below).

Contents

The departure of Smith heavily affected the Wildcats in the season, leading to a rebuild of the team led by Tomey, and ultimately finishing the season with a record of 4–4–3 (2–3–3 in Pac-10), including a tie with rival Arizona State in the season finale.

Before the season

Arizona ended 1986 with a 9–3 record and won the Aloha Bowl, which was their first postseason win. When the season concluded, Smith was hired by conference opponent USC to take over the team, reportedly due to the Trojans’ longer-lasting football tradition as well as Smith’s success with Arizona. [1] Arizona would hire Tomey, who was coaching at Hawaii, and accepted the coaching position (Tomey had attended the Aloha Bowl and was impressed by Arizona's performance that he contacted the school and was ultimately hired). [2] Due to the Wildcats getting a new coach and Smith leaving for USC, the Wildcats struggled to get in-state recruits and entered the 1987 season unranked in the polls.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteTVResult
September 12 Iowa * KMSB L 14–15
September 19 New Mexico *
KMSBW 20–9
September 26at No. 13 UCLA L 24–34
October 3 Bowling Green *
  • Arizona Stadium
  • Tucson, AZ
KMSBW 45–7
October 10at California T 23–23
October 17 Oregon State
  • Arizona Stadium
  • Tucson, AZ
KMSBW 31–17
October 24at Washington State L 28–45
October 31at Stanford W 23–13
November 7 Washington Dagger-14-plain.png
  • Arizona Stadium
  • Tucson, AZ
T 21–21
November 14at USC L 10–12
November 28at Arizona State ABCT 24–24
  • *Non-conference game
  • Dagger-14-plain.pngHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[3]

Roster

1987 Arizona Wildcats football team roster
PlayersCoaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
C 52 Joe Tofflemire Jr
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
S 6 Chuck Cecil Sr
DT 98 John Fina Fr
DT 97 George Hinkle Sr
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured
  • Redshirt.svg Redshirt

Game summaries

Iowa

In Tomey's Arizona debut, the Wildcats hosted Iowa. Arizona's offense struggled at times, but the defense kept them in the game. They would fall a point short to the Hawkeyes. [4]

New Mexico

In their second game of the season, Arizona hosted New Mexico, and the Wildcats defeated the Lobos to give Tomey his first win as Arizona coach and the rivalry's trophy, the Kit Carson Rifle, remained in Tucson (the rifle would be retired after the 1997 season). [5] [6]

UCLA

In Arizona's Pac-10 opener, they visited UCLA, who was ranked 13th. In what was Tomey's first big test, the Wildcats hung with the Bruins before UCLA pulled away late to win. [7]

California

In Berkeley, the visiting Wildcats took on California. Both Arizona and the Golden Bears tied each other and the score ended up in a tie. [8]

Washington

On homecoming day, Arizona faced Washington and was still looking for their first win over the Huskies. Both teams would play even, and the game ultimately ended in a draw. [9]

USC

On the road at USC, Tomey faced his predecessor Larry Smith, and came up short to the Trojans. It was the first time in Wildcats history that a head coach faced an opponent coached by his predecessor in his first season. [10] [11] USC would ultimately go on to clinch a spot in the Rose Bowl near the end of the season.

Arizona State

In Tempe for the rivalry game, Arizona and Arizona State battled back and forth all game long. In the final minute of the fourth quarter, ASU led 24-21 and appeared on its way to ending the Wildcats’ five-game winning streak in the rivalry when they fumbled on a punt attempt and Arizona recovered the ball in the red zone. The Wildcats would convert on a field goal as time expired to settle for a tie. It would be the rivalry's first and only tie in history (ties were eliminated in 1996). [12] [13] [14]

Awards and honors

Season notes

After the season

Despite finishing the 1987 season with a mediocre record, the Wildcats had a bright future under Tomey. Arizona captured winning seasons for the rest of the 1980s and dominated the early part of the 1990s with a menacing defense. Tomey would coach the Wildcats to two memorable seasons in the decade (1993 and 1998) and resigned as coach in 2000, and is the winningest coach in Wildcat football history. [17]

Related Research Articles

Arizona Wildcats football University of Arizona football team

The Arizona Wildcats football program represents the University of Arizona (UA) 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). They play their home games in Arizona Stadium on the university's Tucson campus, which opened in 1939 and has a capacity of 50,782. The team is coached by Jedd Fisch.

1997 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 1997 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by head coach Dick Tomey in his eleventh season at Arizona, the Wildcats compiled a 7–5 record and won the Insight Bowl against New Mexico, and old rival of Arizona. Coincidentally, the bowl game was played at the Wildcats’ home field, Arizona Stadium. It was the first time that Arizona played a bowl game at their home stadium since 1989, when the Wildcats won the Copper Bowl.

The 1989 Arizona Wildcats football team represented University of Arizona during the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. The offense scored 248 points while the defense allowed 178 points. Led by head coach Dick Tomey in his third season, the Wildcats played to an 8–4 record and participated in the first Copper Bowl which, ironically, was held at their home stadium. The Wildcats defeated North Carolina State in the bowl game.

1998 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 1998 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by head coach Dick Tomey in his twelfth season, the Wildcats captured a 12–1 record during the year. It was Arizona's first 11-win season in school history and the best record to date, which surpassed the 1993 team’s record of ten wins. A loss to UCLA in the middle of the regular season prevented the Wildcats from earning an outright Pac-10 title and a potential spot in the Rose Bowl. The team appeared in the Holiday Bowl, and defeating Nebraska to complete the season.

The 1986 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. They were coached by Larry Smith in his seventh and final season. The Wildcats ended the season with a 9–3 record and won the Aloha Bowl against North Carolina for their first bowl win ever.

2004 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 2004 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. They were coached by Mike Stoops in his first season with the Wildcats, after taking over the program after a disastrous 2003 season that led to the firing of former Arizona coach John Mackovic.

2001 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 2001 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. They were coached by John Mackovic in his first season with the Wildcats, replacing longtime coach Dick Tomey. Arizona finished the year with a record of 5–6 and again missed the postseason due to a losing record.

2000 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 2000 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. They were coached by Dick Tomey in his fourteenth and final season. The Wildcats would finish the year with a 5–6 record. Tomey resigned after the season concluded, which meant that he would not return for a fifteenth season as coach in 2001.

1999 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 1999 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by head coach Dick Tomey in his thirteenth season, the Wildcats finished with a 6–6 record and missed out on a bowl game.

1994 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 1994 Arizona Wildcats football team represented University of Arizona during the 1994 NCAA college football season. The offense scored 274 points while the defense allowed 190 points. Under head coach Dick Tomey in his eighth season, the Wildcats completed the season with a record of 8–4 and lost to Utah in the Freedom Bowl.

The 1980 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their first season under head coach Larry Smith, the Wildcats compiled a 5–6 record, finished in a tie for sixth place in the Pac-10, and were outscored by their opponents, 275 to 215. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.

The 1981 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their second season under head coach Larry Smith, the Wildcats compiled a 6–5 record, finished in a tie for sixth place in the Pac-10, and outscored their opponents, 253 to 205. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.

The 1982 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their third season under head coach Larry Smith, the Wildcats compiled a 6–4–1 record, finished in fifth place in the Pac-10, and outscored their opponents, 311 to 219. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. Despite a winning record, the Wildcats did not appear in a bowl game, perhaps due to very few bowl games available at the time and that the six wins were not good enough. Also, late-season losses to USC and Oregon may have been a factor in the Wildcats not earning a bowl berth.

The 1985 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their sixth season under head coach Larry Smith, the Wildcats compiled an 8–3–1 record, finished in second place in the Pac-10, tied with Georgia in the 1985 Sun Bowl, and outscored their opponents, 252 to 146. The defense gave up an average of 12.2 points per game, the sixth best average in Division I-A. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.

The 1988 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their second season under head coach Dick Tomey, the Wildcats compiled a 7–4 record, finished in a tie for third place in the Pac-10, and outscored their opponents, 279 to 218. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.

1990 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 1990 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fourth season under head coach Dick Tomey, the Wildcats compiled a 7–5 record, finished in fifth place in the Pac-10, were shut out in the 1990 Aloha Bowl by Syracuse, and were outscored by their opponents, 311 to 267. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.

1991 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 1991 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth season under head coach Dick Tomey, the Wildcats compiled a 4–7 record, finished in a tie for sixth place in the Pac-10, and were outscored by their opponents, 361 to 248. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.

1992 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 1992 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their sixth season under head coach Dick Tomey, the Wildcats compiled a 6–5–1 record, finished in fifth place in the Pac-10, lost to Baylor in the 1992 John Hancock Bowl, and outscored their opponents, 232 to 118. The defense allowed an average of 9.8 points per game, second best in Division I-A. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.

1995 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 1995 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their ninth season under head coach Dick Tomey, the Wildcats compiled a 6–5 record, finished in a tie for fifth place in the Pac-10, and outscored their opponents, 207 to 199. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.

1996 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 1996 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their tenth season under head coach Dick Tomey, the Wildcats compiled a 5–6 record, finished in a tie for fifth place in the Pac-10, and outscored their opponents, 310 to 280.

References

  1. "How ex-UA coach Smith got to USC". Arizona Daily Star . January 6, 1987.
  2. "Hawaii's Tomey becomes Wildcats' new football coach". Tucson Citizen . January 14, 1987.
  3. College Football @ Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Jun-11.
  4. "Cats come up short to Iowa, spoils Tomey's debut". Arizona Daily Star. September 13, 1987.
  5. "'Cats defeat Lobos, give Tomey first win". Arizona Daily Star . September 20, 1987.
  6. "Wildcats capture first win of season vs. New Mexico, keeps Kit Carson Rifle in Tucson". Arizona Daily Wildcat . September 21, 1987.
  7. "Wildcats fight hard, fall to Bruins". Arizona Daily Wildcat. September 28, 1987.
  8. "Cal 23, Arizona 23: Golden Bears tie up Wildcats". San Francisco Chronicle . October 11, 1987.
  9. "Arizona, Washington play to tie". Tucson Citizen. November 8, 1987.
  10. "USC edges Arizona led by Smith's successor". Los Angeles Times . November 15, 1987.
  11. "'Cats come up short against ex-UA coach Smith's Trojans". Arizona Daily Star. November 15, 1987.
  12. "Tied! UA capitalizes on late ASU blunder, ties Devils on last-second FG". Arizona Daily Star. November 29, 1987.
  13. "ASU makes mistake in final minute, settles for tie against Wildcats". The Arizona Republic . November 29, 1987.
  14. "Sun Devils' botched punt saves Wildcats, FG on final play forces tie". Arizona Daily Wildcat. November 30, 1987.
  15. "'Smith Bowl'? Cats facing ex-coach, USC on Saturday". Arizona Daily Star. November 12, 1987.
  16. "Despite tie, UA's dominance over ASU lives on". Arizona Daily Star. November 30, 1987.
  17. "Tomey, Wildcats' winningest football coach, resigns". Tucson Citizen. November 25, 2000.