1987 Arizona Wildcats football | |
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Conference | Pacific-10 Conference |
1987 record | 4–4–3 (2–3–3 Pac–10) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Dick Tomey (1st season) |
Defensive coordinator | Larry Mac Duff (1st season) |
Home stadium | Arizona Stadium |
1987 Pacific-10 Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 18 USC + | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 9 UCLA + | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Washington | 4 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 20 Arizona State | 3 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oregon | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stanford | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arizona | 2 | – | 3 | – | 3 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
California | 2 | – | 3 | – | 2 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Washington State | 1 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oregon State | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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).
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.
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.
Date | Opponent | Site | TV | Result |
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September 12 | Iowa * | KMSB | L 14–15 | |
September 19 | New Mexico * |
| KMSB | W 20–9 |
September 26 | at No. 13 UCLA | L 24–34 | ||
October 3 | Bowling Green * |
| KMSB | W 45–7 |
October 10 | at California | T 23–23 | ||
October 17 | Oregon State |
| KMSB | W 31–17 |
October 24 | at Washington State | L 28–45 | ||
October 31 | at Stanford | W 23–13 | ||
November 7 | Washington |
| T 21–21 | |
November 14 | at USC | L 10–12 | ||
November 28 | at Arizona State | ABC | T 24–24 | |
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1987 Arizona Wildcats football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
| Defense
| Special teams
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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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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.
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]
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]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.