1975 Arizona Wildcats football team

The 1975 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1975 NCAA Division I football season. In their third season under head coach Jim Young, the Wildcats compiled a 9–2 record (5–2 against WAC opponents), finished in second place in the WAC, were ranked No. 18 in the final AP Poll, and outscored their opponents, 330 to 169.[1][2] The team played its home games at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.

1975 Arizona Wildcats football
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 13
APNo. 18
Record9–2 (5–2 WAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumArizona Stadium
1975 Western Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 Arizona State $ 7 –0 –012 –0 –0
No. 18 Arizona 5 –2 –09 –2 –0
Colorado State 4 –2 –06 –5 –0
BYU 4 –3 –06 –5 –0
New Mexico 4 –3 –06 –5 –0
Utah 1 –4 –01 –10 –0
Wyoming 1 –6 –02 –9 –0
UTEP 0 –6 –01 –10 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Even though they captured their second straight nine-win season, the Wildcats missed out on a bowl due to not winning an outright conference title for the third season in a row. Arizona lost in the season finale to their rival Arizona State in a game that decided the WAC title. Both of Arizona's losses this season were to their rivals, (New Mexico and Arizona State).

The team's statistical leaders included Bruce Hill with 1,747 passing yards, Dave Randolph with 657 rushing yards, and Scott Piper with 718 receiving yards.[3] Linebacker Obra Erby led the team with 188 total tackles.[4]

Before the season

Arizona concluded the 1974 season with a 9–2 record (6–1 in WAC), and lost out on the WAC title and bowl eligibility due to their loss to BYU that season. The Wildcats ended the year by defeating Arizona State for the first time since 1964 with a shutout and brought back bragging rights for the state of Arizona. The team went into the 1975 season with high expectations and was looking to contend for the WAC championship and was ranked in the top 20 in preseason polls. Many Wildcat fans believed that Young was rebuilding a resurgence of winning to a football program that was struggling for nearly a decade.[5]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 20Pacific (CA)*No. 17
W 16–0
September 27at WyomingNo. 15
W 14–021,909[6]
October 4Northwestern*No. 17
  • Arizona Stadium
  • Tucson, AZ
W 41–6
October 11at UTEPNo. 17
W 36–015,700
October 18Texas Tech*No. 13
  • Arizona Stadium
  • Tucson, AZ
W 32–2839,854
October 25New MexicoNo. 13
  • Arizona Stadium
  • Tucson, AZ (rivalry)
L 34–44
November 1at BYUNo. 17
W 36–2025,287
November 8at No. 13 San Diego State*No. 15
W 31–24
November 15at Colorado StateNo. 12
W 31–919,887
November 22UtahNo. 11
  • Arizona Stadium
  • Tucson, AZ
W 38–1437,966
November 29at No. 8 Arizona StateNo. 12
L 21–24
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries

Northwestern

In a game that featured two teams that shared the same nickname, the Wildcats, Arizona took care of Northwestern at home.[7] Arizona gave up two field goals to Northwestern, and ended a streak of three consecutive shutout wins dating back to the previous season finale against Arizona State (Arizona began 1975 with shutouts over Pacific and Wyoming).

New Mexico

In the rivalry game between Arizona and New Mexico, both teams’ offense put up several points on the board, with the Lobos coming out on top to upset the Wildcats and handed Arizona its first loss of the season.[8] The Wildcats’ loss led to the Kit Carson Rifle (the rivalry's trophy) returning to Albuquerque for the first time since 1971.[9]

San Diego State

Arizona faced San Diego State on the road for a top-15 non-conference matchup (the Wildcats were ranked 15th whereas the Aztecs were 13th). The game was a big test for Arizona, and the Wildcats ultimately prevailed in a close win.[10]

Colorado State

Against Colorado State, the Wildcats’ defense blitzed the Rams and limited them to only nine points in yet another win.[11] This remains the last time to date that Arizona traveled to Fort Collins to play the Rams, as future meetings between the two teams since then have been played in Tucson.

Arizona State

The Wildcats traveled to Tempe to face unbeaten Arizona State in a game that decided the WAC championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl (the loser would have their season end due to a lack of bowl spots available). Due to the fact that cable and satellite television didn't exist at the time and that all national broadcasters’ schedules of games were booked, the Arizona-Arizona State game was not televised.[12]

Late in the second quarter with Arizona leading 14–3, the Sun Devils drove into Wildcat territory and an Arizona State receiver dove and made a sensational catch in the end zone for a touchdown. There has been debates of whether or not it was indeed a catch, in which many Wildcat fans believe it was not.[13] Due to a lack of instant replay at the time and that all officials’ calls were based on judgment and thus were final, the touchdown catch was upheld, much to the ire of Wildcat fans. The disputes of the ASU touchdown catch still continue to this day.[14]

The touchdown gave ASU momentum at halftime and carried it with them in the second half and took the lead. The Wildcats had a chance to respond, but fell short and Arizona State went on to capture the WAC with the win and ended the Wildcats’ season.[15][16] Arizona matched the 1974 season with back-to-back 9–2 records but without a bowl appearance.[17] Arizona State would ultimately go on to win the Fiesta Bowl and finish with a perfect 12–0 record.

References
  1. "1975 Arizona Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  2. "Arizona Football 2016 Media Guide" (PDF). University of Arizona. 2016. p. 107. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  3. "1975 Arizona Wildcats Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  4. 2016 Media Guide, p. 86.
  5. "Wildcats enter 1975 football season with high hopes". The Arizona Daily Star. September 4, 1975.
  6. "Wildcatss edge Pokes, 14-0". Casper Star-Tribune. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Wildcats vs. Wildcats: Arizona destroys Northwestern, 41–6". Arizona Daily Star. October 5, 1975.
  8. "Wildcats fight hard, but come up short against Lobos for first loss". Arizona Daily Wildcat. October 27, 1975.
  9. "Lobos happy to have Kit Carson Rifle back in Albuquerque after New Mexico upset victory over Arizona". Albuquerque Journal. October 27, 1975.
  10. "Wildcats survive against San Diego State". Tucson Daily Citizen. November 10, 1975.
  11. "Wildcats take care of Colorado State, 31–9". Arizona Daily Star. November 16, 1975.
  12. "UA-ASU game will not be televised due to lack of open TV window". The Arizona Republic. November 26, 1975.
  13. "Remembering 'The Catch' in 1975 UA-ASU football game 30 years later". The State Press. November 23, 2005.
  14. "Revisiting the 1975 'Duel in the Desert': Was ASU touchdown really a catch?". Arizona Daily Wildcat. November 18, 2015.
  15. "Sun Devils stave off Wildcats, 24–21; Fiesta Bowl berth, WAC title snared". The Arizona Republic. November 30, 1975.
  16. "ASU gains Fiesta Bowl with 24–21 win; Wildcats stunned by tough loss". Arizona Daily Star. November 30, 1975.
  17. "Wildcats finish 9–2 again with no bowl berth". Arizona Daily Wildcat. December 1, 1975.
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