Arizona Football: Ranking the Top Five upsets in Arizona Stadium
By Jake Faigus
No. 3 – Arizona ruins Oregon season by upsetting the No. Ducks in Tucson
Who: Arizona vs No. 2 Oregon
When: November 2, 2007
Where: Tucson, AZ (Arizona Stadium)
Who knew a wild game would be in store, when No. 2 Oregon (8-1) came to Tucson highly ranked and highly favored in this Friday evening game. At the time, Arizona was just 4-6, and would battle with the Ducks’ high powered offense led by the Heisman Trophy favorite, Dennis Dixon.
To start, Oregon went right down the field, scoring on a 39-yard scamper from Dixon, followed by a pass to Ed Dickson on the two-point conversion to make it 8-0.
The next two drives, both teams traded interceptions, before Arizona quarterback, Willie Tuitama answered with a 34-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Thomas to make it 8-7.
On the ensuing Oregon drive, that’s when things would take a turn for the Ducks. Dixon went down, hurting his knee on a non-contact injury. Brady Leaf, son of Ryan Leaf, finished the drive with a field goal, and he would finish the game for Dixon. Arizona ended the first quarter with a field goal to make it 11-10.
The very next drive in the second quarter Leaf threw an interception for a touchdown by Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason, as he returned it 42-yards making it 17-11. The ensuing Arizona drive consisted of a 46-yard touchdown pass from Tuitama to Thomas again, this time making it 24-11.
Cason would score on a 56-yard punt return for a touchdown just before halftime to make it 31-11 as Arizona sat comfortably, seemingly in cruise control. The Ducks would respond quickly though, driving the field to convert on a field goal to make it 31-14 at the half.
Arizona started the second half with a fumble that led to another field goal for Oregon to make it 31-17. And again in it was mistakes that were costing the Ducks, as Oregon fumbled and threw another interception in the fourth quarter.
They would finally find the endzone again, but luckily for Arizona, it was the last time as Arizona still held on to the 31-24 lead.
The Wildcats would connect on a field goal, and then got the last interception to ice the game at 34-24.
This game was the lone highlight, in an otherwise disappointing Arizona Football season, as the Wildcats finished the year with a loss to ASU. Arizona would finish 5-7 with no bowl game, but nonetheless, it was this game that was perhaps considered to be the biggest win of the Mike Stoops era.
Oregon’s title hopes took a giant hit with this loss, and they ended up losing their next two games against UCLA and Oregon State, but blew out South Florida in the Sun Bowl to finish 9-4 overall.
One of Arizona’s most notable wins over ASU (34-17) is highlighted by the best play in school history.
Who: Arizona vs No. 4 ASU
When: November 22, 1986
Where: Tucson, AZ (Arizona Stadium)
Easily one of the biggest upsets in Arizona Football history, ASU came into this game highly ranked and highly at 9-0-1 and ranked No. 4 in the country, Arizona was just 8-2, but fiesty as ever.
The Sun Devils already had a Rose Bowl berth wrapped up, but that did not faze the Wildcats. The Wildcats were in the middle of the part of the rivalry called “The Streak” where ASU had not beaten them since 1981, and would not beat them again until 1991, so they welcomed this rivalry game, especially with ASU having a perfect season up until that point.
Arizona struck first with 7:14 left in the first quarter, with a drive that ended with Arizona quarterback, Alfred Jenkins throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to running back David Adams. Still leading 7-0, the Wildcats would score again off a 5-yard touchdown run from running back Art Greathouse to make the score 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Finally ASU would then respond, when quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst converted on a 7-yard touchdown pass to ASU wide receiver Chris Garrett, followed by an ASU field goal from kicker Kent Bostrom as time expired in the first half by kicker to make it 14-10 at the break.
Arizona would start strong in the second half, when running back Chris McLemore scored on 6-yard run to make it 21-10. The Wildcats would then connect on a 28-yard field goal from kicker Gary Coston to begin the fourth quarter with a 24-10 lead.
That’s when we would be graced by arguably the biggest play in Arizona Football history! With ASU driving and near the Arizona endzone, Chuck Cecil would take an errant pass from Van Raaphorst, returning the interception 106 yards for the Wildcat score!
To this day, it is still seen as the best play in Arizona Football history, and easily the best play in the history of the Territorial Cup rivalry. It made the score 31-10, and effectively iced the game for Arizona.
Van Raaphorst would throw a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Aaron Cox to make it 31-17, but it was too little too late, as Arizona ended it with a 27-yard field goal from Coston to make it 34-17.
ASU was largely done in by the three interceptions from Van Raaphorst despite his 437 passing yards. The Sun Devils would still go to the Rose Bowl, beating Michigan to finish the year No. 4 in the country, so this loss was the only one of the year for them.
The Wildcats would lose to Stanford the next week, but beat North Carolina in the Aloha Bowl to finish 9-3 and No. 11 overall.