Arizona Wildcats Top 5 Wins Over College Football Royalty
By Brad Malone
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 16, 1989
Arizona 6 (No. 6) Oklahoma 3
One of the most signature wins of the Dick Tomey era came against the highly ranked Oklahoma Sooners at Arizona Stadium.
The Cats defense and Oklahoma’s inability to hold onto the football kept Arizona in the game until late in the fourth quarter. With less than 5:30 to play and the game tied 3-3, the Cats got the ball back in their own territory after the Sooners were forced to punt.
What happened next was textbook Tomey. The Cats scratched and clawed 37 yards downfield while eating up the game clock. This included a gutsy call at midfield when Tomey went for it when it was 4th and one. Arizona’s Mario Hampton found a way to get the yard and the Cats drive continued.
In 1989 there was no overtime, so if the Cats had failed at midfield, the Sooners would have had great field position to set up a possible winning field goal.
This game has a special place in my heart because it happened the same night as my Grandparent’s 50th Anniversary party. When our family got home from the event, I raced back to my room to listen to the end of the game.
Moments after I switched the radio on, Arizona kicker Doug Pfaff became an immortal Arizona hero when he made a 40-yard field goal to give the Wildcats a 6-3 victory.
Next: No. 3 : Nebraska