The 1978 Arizona Wildcats football team season represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their second season under head coach Tony Mason, the Wildcats compiled a 5–6 record (3–4 against Pac-10 opponents), finished in a tie for sixth place in the Pac-10, and outscored their opponents, 245 to 205.[1][2] The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. This is the first year in which Arizona, along with rival Arizona State, joined the Pac-10 (previously the Pac-8 prior to both Arizona schools’ joining the conference).
1978 Arizona Wildcats football | |
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Conference | Pacific-10 Conference |
Record | 5–6 (3–4 Pac-10) |
Head coach |
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Home stadium | Arizona Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 2 USC $ | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 14 UCLA | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Washington | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arizona State | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 17 Stanford | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
California | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arizona | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oregon | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oregon State | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Washington State | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The team's statistical leaders included Jim Krohn with 991 passing yards, Hubert Oliver with 866 rushing yards, and Ron Beyer with 296 receiving yards.[3] Linebacker Sam Giangardella led the team with 131 total tackles.[4]
Arizona and Arizona State joined the Pac-8 prior to the start of the 1978 season after spending several years as members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The Pac-8 was then renamed the Pac-10 after the two schools joined the conference. Both schools went to the Pac-10 to compete for championships and that the conference had more money in revenue and more scholarships offered.[5] The Wildcats finished the 1977 season with a record of 5–7 in Mason's first season with the team.
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
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September 9 | Kansas State* | W 31–0 | 50,484 | |||||
September 16 | Oregon State |
| W 21–7 | 49,056 | ||||
September 23 | at Texas Tech* | L 26–41 | 41,712 | |||||
September 30 | Iowa* |
| W 23–3 | 46,851 | ||||
October 7 | at No. 3 Michigan* | L 17–21 | 104,913 | |||||
October 14 | California |
| L 20–33 | 54,121 | ||||
October 27 | at No. 10 UCLA | L 14–24 | 41,077 | |||||
November 4 | at No. 20 Washington | L 21–31 | 47,587 | |||||
November 11 | at Oregon | W 24–3 | 26,200 | |||||
November 18 | Washington State |
| W 31–24 | 49,557 | ||||
November 25 | Arizona State |
| L 17–18 | 58,090 | ||||
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1978 Arizona Wildcats football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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In the season opener, Arizona played their first game as a Pac-10 member and faced Kansas State (whose nickname was also the Wildcats, like Arizona). Arizona would dominate the game in a shutout win.[6]
In Arizona's first Pac-10 game, they defeated Oregon State to improve on their record. It was their first home win over a Pac-10 opponent.[7]
The Wildcats went on the road at Michigan for only their second meeting against the Wolverines (the first was in 1970, also on the road). Arizona fought hard with third-ranked Michigan, and ultimately came up short at a chance of an upset.[8] To date, this remains Arizona’s most recent meeting against Michigan (the Wildcats have yet to host the Wolverines at home, and is unlikely to in the foreseeable future).
In their first Pac-10 road game, Arizona traveled to UCLA and faced the No. 10 Bruins. The Wildcats would end up losing to the Bruins for their first Pac-10 road loss.[9]
Arizona went to Oregon and defeated the Ducks to win their first road Pac-10 game.[10]
Arizona and Arizona State met in their first rivalry matchup as Pac-10 members. In a back and forth game, Arizona State led late in the fourth quarter and the Wildcats had a chance to possibly win it, but missed a field goal in the final seconds to lose to ASU yet again.[11][12]
Arizona would improve in 1979, with them Mason predicting that the team would contend for a bowl, in which they did.[13] Mason would take the Wildcats to the Fiesta Bowl, but would later be forced out due to alleged scandal that involved him and his players.