2000 Arizona Wildcats football team

American college football season August 2023 February 2026 2000 Arizona Wildcats football Arizona Wildcats logo.svg 125 Pacific-10 Conference Pac-10 5–6 3–5 Dick Tomey 14th Dino Babers 3rd Spread Rich Ellerson 4th 4–3 Arizona Stadium The 2000 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona as a member of the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by Dick Tomey in his 14th and final season as head coach, the Wildcats compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for fifth in the Pac-10. The team played home games at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. After starting the season at 5–1, Arizona was in the running for a conference title and a berth in the Rose Bowl, but the Wildcats lost their final five games due to offensive mistakes and a poor defense, which prevented them from reaching a bowl game and leading to Tomey's resignation.Collapse in 2000, end of an era: The fall of Arizona football Arizona Daily Wildcat November 28, 2000 Schedule 2000 AP Mountain September 2 7:00 p.m. w y y Utah Rice–Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT ESPN2 17–3 41,352 September 9 7:15 p.m. l y Ohio State 18 Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ FSN 17–27 57,367 September 16 7:00 p.m. w y San Diego State Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ FSNAZ 17–3 44,973 September 30 2:00 p.m. w y Stanford Stanford Stadium Palo Alto, CA FSN 27–3 31,165 October 7 12:30 p.m. w y USC 18 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA ABC 31–15 49,342 October 14 7:00 p.m. w 22 Washington State Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ KWBA 53–47 3OT 50,350 October 21 7:15 p.m. l y 21 Oregon 7 Autzen Stadium Eugene, OR FSN 10–14 45,950 October 28 4:00 p.m. l 24 UCLA Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ ABC 24–27 45,540 November 4 1:30 p.m. l y Washington 8 Husky Stadium Seattle, WA ABC 32–35 70,411 November 11 8:15 p.m. l y Oregon State 10 Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ FSN 9–33 44,109 November 24 4:00 p.m. l Arizona State Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ rivalry FSN 17–30 54,297 Rankings 2000 NCAA Division I-A football rankings AP 0 16 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR 22 21 24 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR Coaches Poll 0 16 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR 22 20 23 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS 9 15 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR Before the season After Arizona ended the 1999 season with a 6–6 record and no bowl appearance, many fans believed that the Wildcats didn't live up to expectations after a 12-win 1998 season. The Wildcats had entered 1999 with Rose Bowl and national title aspirations before losing the opener to Penn State and the rest of the season went down with it.‘99 season showed promise for Wildcat football, only to falter Arizona Daily Star November 30, 1999 The team had to rebuild by entering the 2000 season by replacing several talented players on offense, as running back Trung Canidate, wide receiver Dennis Northcutt, and quarterback Keith Smith all graduated and/or went to the NFL, though quarterback Ortege Jenkins and receiver Bobby Wade returned and hoped to turn the Wildcats back to their winning ways.Wildcat football hopes things will change in 2000 Arizona Daily Star December 5, 2000 In the summer, Arizona upgraded its uniforms. Though the uniforms were the same, the only difference was that the players’ names and numbers changed into a futuristic font, as 2000 was a turn of new hope for the program.Arizona makes slight changes to football uniforms for 2000 season Tucson Citizen July 7, 2000 By the preseason, Arizona went unranked in the polls and Tomey was put on the hot seat, as the Wildcats needed to win to save his job after underachieving in 1999.Arizona must win more games this fall to save Tomey’s job Arizona Daily Wildcat August 21, 2000 Tomey believed that the team would recover and contend for a bowl.It’s bowl or bust for Tomey, Cats Arizona Daily Star August 27, 2000 Game summaries at Utah 2000 Utah Utes football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats white;text-align:center; autocollapse Arizona Wildcats (0–0) at Utah Utes (0–0) – Game summary September 2, 2000 7:00 p.m. Wildcats 0 0 17 0 Utes 0 3 0 0 Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, UT 41,352 ESPN2 Mark Jones (play-by-play), Gino Torretta (analyst), and Holly Rowe (sideline reporter) First quarter None Second quarter (0:05) UTAH – Golden Whetman 46-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 1:05; Utah 3–0) Third quarter (13:21) ARIZ – Adrian Koch 10-yard fumble return, Sean Keel kick (Arizona 7–3) (9:52) ARIZ – Larry Croom 13-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 3 plays, 29 yards, 1:19; Arizona 14–3) (2:52) ARIZ – Sean Keel 44-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 2:53; Arizona 17–3) Fourth quarter None Statistics ARIZUTAH First downs 9 21 Total yards 146 370 Rushes–yards 39–135 39–60 Passing yards 11 310 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 3–15–0 21–51–2 Time of possession 25:23 34:37 Team Category Player Statistics Arizona Passing Ortege Jenkins3/15, 11 yards RushingLeo Mills Jr.16 carries, 74 yards Receiving Brandon Marshall1 reception, 14 yards Utah Passing T.D. Croshaw10/29, 159 yards Rushing D'Shaun Crockett 17 carries, 41 yards Receiving Cliff Russell 10 receptions, 141 yards vs No. 18 Ohio State 2000 Ohio State Buckeyes football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats white;text-align:center; autocollapse No. 18 Ohio State Buckeyes (1–0) vs Arizona Wildcats (1–0) – Game summary September 9, 2000 7:15 p.m. No. 18 Buckeyes 3 7 14 3 Wildcats 7 10 0 0 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 57,367 Partly cloudy, 95 °F °C Pat Flood Fox Sports Net Steve Physioc (play-by-play), Tom Ramsey (analyst), and Lisa Malosky (sideline reporter) First quarter (6:41) ARIZ – Ortege Jenkins 10-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 2 plays, 9 yards, 0:39; Arizona 7–0) (3:09) OSU – Dan Stultz 26-yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 8 yards, 1:49; Arizona 7–3) Second quarter (14:11) OSU – Tim Cheatwood 1-yard pass from Steve Bellisari, Dan Stultz kick (Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 2:15; Ohio State 10–7) (7:29) ARIZ – Team safety (Ohio State 10–9) (6:11) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 60-yard pass from Ortege Jenkins, Ortege Jenkins run for two-point conversion (Drive: 3 plays, 63 yards, 1:18; Arizona 17–10) Third quarter (7:53) OSU – Chad Cacchio 60-yard pass from Steve Bellisari, Dan Stultz kick (Drive: 4 plays, 84 yards, 1:34; Tied 17–17) (2:44) OSU – Jonathan Wells 1-yard run, Dan Stultz kick (Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 3:31; Ohio State 24–17) Fourth quarter (12:52) OSU – Dan Stultz 20-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 2:28; Ohio State 27–17) Statistics OSUARIZ First downs 12 11 Total yards 341 194 Rushes–yards 40–101 39–57 Passing yards 240 137 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 12–20–1 11–23–0 Time of possession 27:13 32:47 Team Category Player Statistics Ohio State Passing Steve Bellisari12/20, 240 yards, 2 TD, INT RushingDerek Combs13 carries, 53 yards Receiving Chad Cacchio1 reception, 60 yards, TD Arizona Passing Ortege Jenkins11/23, 137 yards, TD Rushing Larry Croom 10 carries, 32 yards Receiving Bobby Wade 4 receptions, 93 yards, TD After defeating Utah on the road to start the season, the Wildcats hosted Ohio State in the home opener. After outplaying the Buckeyes in the first half to lead 17–10 at halftime, Arizona would struggle as Ohio State took control and shut out the Wildcats in the second half and Arizona’s record evened at 1-1.Buckeyes tame Cats Arizona Daily Star September 10, 2000 To date, this is Ohio State’s first and only trip to Tucson and it remains the most recent meeting between the two teams. vs San Diego State 2000 San Diego State Aztecs football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats white;text-align:center; autocollapse San Diego State Aztecs (0–2) vs Arizona Wildcats (1–1) – Game summary September 16, 2000 7:00 p.m. Aztecs 0 3 0 0 Wildcats 0 7 3 7 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 44,973 Clear, 99 °F °C Chuck McFerrin Fox Sports Net Arizona Dave Sitton (play-by-play), Chuck Cecil (analyst), and Dana Cooper (sideline reporter) First quarter None Second quarter (5:33) SDSU – Nate Tandberg 45-yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 6 yards, 1:52; San Diego State 3–0) (0:12) ARIZ – Malosi Leonard 14-yard pass from Ortege Jenkins, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 0:57; Arizona 7–3) Third quarter (7:16) ARIZ – Sean Keel 41-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:24; Arizona 10–3) Fourth quarter (9:45) ARIZ – Andrae Thurman 34-yard blocked punt return, Sean Keel kick (Arizona 17–3) Statistics SDSUARIZ First downs 14 19 Total yards 196 385 Rushes–yards 37–72 36–185 Passing yards 124 200 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 15–29–1 19–31–1 Time of possession 31:47 28:13 Team Category Player Statistics San Diego State Passing Lon Sheriff15/29, 124 yards, INT RushingLarry Ned29 carries, 85 yards Receiving J. R. Tolver5 receptions, 38 yards Arizona Passing Ortege Jenkins19/29, 200 yards, TD, INT Rushing Clarence Farmer 13 carries, 95 yards Receiving Andrae Thurman 6 receptions, 82 yards at Stanford 2000 Stanford Cardinal football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats white;text-align:center; autocollapse Arizona Wildcats (2–1) at Stanford Cardinal (2–1) – Game summary September 30, 2000 2:00 p.m. Wildcats 13 7 0 7 Cardinal 0 0 3 0 Stanford Stadium • Stanford, CA 31,165 Clear, Hot, 80 °F °C Jack Sprenger Fox Sports Net First quarter (9:54) ARIZ – Sean Keel 33-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:28; Arizona 3–0) (7:57) ARIZ – Brad Brennan 36-yard pass from Ortege Jenkins, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 1 play, 36 yards, 0:08; Arizona 10–0) (2:02) ARIZ – Sean Keel 35-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 25 yards, 5:09; Arizona 13–0) Second quarter (14:25) ARIZ – Clarence Farmer 3-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 2 plays, 49 yards, 0:28; Arizona 20–0) Third quarter (5:54) STAN – Mike Biselli 30-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 4:20; Arizona 20–3) Fourth quarter (10:49) ARIZ – Idris Haroon 32-yard fumble return, Sean Keel kick (Arizona 27–3) Statistics ARIZSTAN First downs 17 13 Total yards 390 245 Rushes–yards 46–192 30–68 Passing yards 198 177 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 12–23–1 14–32–2 Time of possession 34:33 25:27 Team Category Player Statistics Arizona Passing Ortege Jenkins12/22, 198 yards, TD, INT RushingClarence Farmer18 carries, 116 yards, TD Receiving Bobby Wade5 receptions, 74 yards Stanford Passing Chris Lewis14/32, 177 yards, 2 INT Rushing Kerry Carter 9 carries, 37 yards Receiving DeRonnie Pitts 5 receptions, 52 yards at No. 22 USC 2000 USC Trojans football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats white;text-align:center autocollapse Arizona Wildcats (3–1) at No. 22 USC Trojans (3–1) – Game summary October 7, 2000 12:30 p.m. Wildcats 21 0 7 3 No. 22 Trojans 0 6 3 6 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA 49,342 Hazy, 70 °F °C Jay Stricherz ABC Keith Jackson (play-by-play), Tim Brant (analyst), and Todd Harris (sideline reporter) First quarter (14:33) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 75-yard pass from Ortege Jenkins, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:21; Arizona 7–0) (6:59) ARIZ – Ortege Jenkins 1-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 2:35; Arizona 14–0) (1:08) ARIZ – Clarence Farmer 80-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:11; Arizona 21–0) Second quarter (1:19) USC – Petros Papadakis 1-yard run, kick failed (Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 2:16; Arizona 21–6) Third quarter (10:21) USC – John Wall 27-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 4:39; Arizona 21–9) (5:10) ARIZ – Ortege Jenkins 4-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:04; Arizona 28–9) Fourth quarter (9:17) ARIZ – Sean Keel 29-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:27; Arizona 31–9) (0:29) USC – Matt Nickels 7-yard pass from Carson Palmer, kick failed (Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 2:28; Arizona 31–15) Statistics ARIZUSC First downs 10 18 Total yards 253 331 Rushing yards 44–117 27–10 Passing yards 136 321 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 7–13–1 26–50–3 Time of possession 29:39 30:21 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Ortege Jenkins6/12, 110 yards, TD, INT Rushing Clarence Farmer 22 carries, 134 yards, TD Receiving Bobby Wade 4 receptions, 102 yards, TDUSC Passing Carson Palmer 26/50, 321 yards, TD, 3 INT Rushing Sultan McCullough 13 carries, 32 yards Receiving Keary Colbert6 receptions, 113 yards Arizona visited the Coliseum to face 22nd-ranked USC. In the opening minute, the Wildcats struck first on a 75-yard pass from Jenkins to Wade. They would add another long score later in the quarter to break it open. Arizona’s defense would shut down the Trojans’ elite offense and blocked two extra points after USC scored its touchdowns, and earned a victory over USC for the second consecutive season.Wildcats toy with Troy Arizona Daily Star October 8, 2000 vs Washington State 2000 Washington State Cougars football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats white;text-align:center; autocollapse Washington State Cougars (3–2) vs No. 22 Arizona Wildcats (4–1) – Game summary October 14, 2000 7:00 p.m. Cougars 13 6 0 14 7 7 0 No. 22 Wildcats 7 7 6 13 7 7 6 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 50,350 Clear, 72 °F °C Jim Fogltance KWBA Dave Sitton (play-by-play), Chuck Cecil (analyst), and Dana Cooper (sideline reporter) First quarter (11:05) WSU – Milton Wynn 14-yard pass from Jason Gesser, Anousith Wilaikul kick (Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 3:34; Washington State 7–0) (5:39) ARIZ – Brandon Marshall 56-yard pass from Ortege Jenkins, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 3 plays, 56 yards, 1:29; Tied 7–7) (4:29) WSU – Deon Burnett 68-yard pass from Jason Gesser, kick failed (Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:10; Washington State 13–7) Second quarter (5:12) WSU – Nakoa McElrath 54-yard pass from Jason Gesser, two-point run failed (Drive: 4 plays, 47 yards, 2:28; Washington State 19–7) (1:07) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 14-yard pass from Ortege Jenkins, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:05; Washington State 19–14) Third quarter (5:09) ARIZ – Alex Luna 17-yard fumble return, two-point pass failed (Arizona 20–19) Fourth quarter (14:52) ARIZ – Clarence Farmer 1-yard run, two-point run failed (Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 3:49; Arizona 26–19) (13:19) WSU – Nakoa McElrath 19-yard pass from Jason Gesser, Anousith Wilaikul kick (Drive: 4 plays, 78 yards, 1:33; Tied 26–26) (9:03) WSU – Chris Martin 31-yard interception return, Anousith Wilaikul kick (Washington State 33–26) (5:31) ARIZ – Mike Detwiler 1-yard pass from Ortege Jenkins, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 3:32; Tied 33–33) First overtime ARIZ – Ortege Jenkins 25-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Arizona 40–33) WSU – Milton Wynn 23-yard pass from Jason Gesser, Anousith Wilaikul kick (Tied 40–40) Second overtime WSU – Nakoa McElrath 19-yard pass from Jason Gesser, Anousith Wilaikul kick (Washington State 47–40) ARIZ – Leo Mills Jr. 1-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Tied 47–47) Third overtime ARIZ – Leo Mills Jr. 2-yard run, two-point pass failed (Arizona 53–47) Statistics WSUARIZ First downs 19 22 Total yards 490 490 Rushes–yards 34–112 57–254 Passing yards 378 236 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 20–37–2 15–31–2 Time of possession 26:05 33:55 Team Category Player Statistics Washington State Passing Jason Gesser19/36, 348 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT RushingDave Minnich12 carries, 101 yards Receiving Nakoa McElrath5 receptions, 106 yards. 3 TD Arizona Passing Ortege Jenkins15/30, 236 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Rushing Leo Mills Jr. 19 carries, 129 yards, 2 TD Receiving Bobby Wade 6 receptions, 112 yards, TD The Wildcats, now back in the rankings (22nd), hosted Washington State in their next game. They would battle the Cougars back and forth for most of the game as they would trade scores all night. With the game tied at 33 late in the fourth quarter, Arizona had a chance at the win, but would miss a field goal that hit the goal post and the game went to overtime. After both teams traded touchdowns in the first two overtime periods, the Wildcats scored in the third frame to regain the lead. However, they would fail on a two-point try, leaving Washington State with a chance to win with a touchdown and the two-point conversion. On the Cougars’ first play, the Wildcats would intercept a pass to end the game and gave Arizona a wild victory.Cats outlast Cougars in triple OT for wild win Tucson Citizen October 15, 2000 The win put the Wildcats in first place in the Pac-10 and moved them a step closer for a potential chance at the Rose Bowl. at No. 7 Oregon 2000 Oregon Ducks football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats white;text-align:center; autocollapse No. 21 Arizona Wildcats (5–1) at No. 7 Oregon Ducks (5–1) – Game summary October 21, 2000 7:15 p.m. No. 21 Wildcats 0 10 0 0 No. 7 Ducks 7 7 0 0 Autzen Stadium • Eugene, OR 45,950 Chance of rain, 54 °F °C Gordon Riese Fox Sports Net Steve Physioc (play-by-play), Tom Ramsey (analyst), Lewis Johnson (sideline reporter) First quarter (7:37) ORE – Marshaun Tucker 25-yard pass from Joey Harrington, Josh Frankel kick (Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:10; Oregon 7–0) Second quarter (7:08) ORE – Marshaun Tucker 20-yard pass from Joey Harrington, Josh Frankel kick (Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 0:54; Oregon 14–0) (5:45) ARIZ – Larry Croom 58-yard pass from Ortege Jenkins, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 3 plays, 83 yards, 1:23; Oregon 14–7) (0:14) ARIZ – Sean Keel 34-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 13 yards, 0:23; Oregon 14–10) Third quarter None Fourth quarter None Statistics ARIZORE First downs 11 14 Total yards 217 260 Rushes–yards 32–17 45–137 Passing yards 200 123 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 15–32–1 9–22–1 Time of possession 27:27 32:33 Team Category Player Statistics Arizona Passing Ortege Jenkins15/31, 200 yards, TD, INT RushingClarence Farmer9 carries, 20 yards Receiving Brad Brennan6 receptions, 90 yards Oregon Passing Joey Harrington9/22, 123 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Maurice Morris 34 carries, 114 yards Receiving Marshaun Tucker 3 receptions, 59 yards, 2 TD After their wild win over Washington State, the Wildcats traveled to Oregon to take on the seventh-ranked Ducks in a place where Arizona had not won since 1986, and became a difficult test for them in the quest for their goal. Oregon seemed to have the upper hand early, leading 14-0 before halftime. The Wildcats got back in it in the second half with ten unanswered points and had a chance to take the lead and possibly win it late for the upset, but would come up short as the Ducks held on for the win.Wildcats fall short to Ducks again, drop first Pac-10 game of year Arizona Daily Wildcat October 22, 2000 vs UCLA 2000 UCLA Bruins football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats white;text-align:center; autocollapse UCLA Bruins (4–3) vs No. 24 Arizona Wildcats (5–2) – Game summary October 28, 2000 4:00 p.m. Bruins 14 0 6 7 No. 24 Wildcats 7 14 0 3 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 45,540 Partly sunny, 62 °F °C Jay Stricherz ABC Sean Grande (play-by-play) and David Norrie (analyst) First quarter (11:59) ARIZ – Keoni Fraser 36-yard interception return, Sean Keel kick (Arizona 7–0) (7:08) UCLA – DeShaun Foster 1-yard run, Chris Griffith kick (Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 4:51; Tied 7–7) (1:57) UCLA – Brian Poli-Dixon 18-yard pass from Cory Paus, Chris Griffith kick (Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 3:17; UCLA 14–7) Second quarter (8:16) ARIZ – Clarence Farmer 2-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:59; Tied 14–14) (1:22) ARIZ – Clarence Farmer 19-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 0:45; Arizona 21–14) Third quarter (9:04) UCLA – Chris Griffith 33-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 15 yards, 2:15; Arizona 21–17) (5:55) UCLA – Chris Griffith 33-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, -3 yards, 1:33; Arizona 21–20) Fourth quarter (8:24) ARIZ – Sean Keel 42-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 4:13; Arizona 24–20) (0:48) UCLA – Cory Paus 13-yard run, Chris Griffith kick (Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 1:59; UCLA 27–24) Statistics UCLAARIZ First downs 17 15 Total yards 284 316 Rushes–yards 39–54 45–211 Passing yards 230 105 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 19–35–2 7–18–4 Time of possession 31:52 28:08 Team Category Player Statistics UCLA Passing Cory Paus19/35, 230 yards, TD, 2 INT RushingDeShaun Foster29 carries, 78 yards, TD Receiving Freddie Mitchell7 receptions, 94 yards Arizona Passing Ortege Jenkins7/18, 105 yards, 4 INT Rushing Clarence Farmer 33 carries, 107 yards. 2 TD Receiving Brad Brennan 1 reception, 41 yards Arizona returned home to host UCLA. In the Bruins’ previous visit to Tucson (1998), they took down the Wildcats that kept Arizona out of the Rose Bowl/national title picture. Arizona would play tough and led late in the fourth quarter before UCLA drove down the field and scored with less than a minute remaining to grab the victory.Wildcats fall apart late, lose to UCLA The Arizona Republic October 29, 2000 The Wildcats were also hurt by turnovers, as Jenkins would throw four interceptions that led to the loss. at No. 8 Washington 2000 Washington Huskies football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats white;text-align:center; autocollapse Arizona Wildcats (5–3) at No. 8 Washington Huskies (7–1) – Game summary November 4, 2000 1:30 p.m. Wildcats 9 7 9 7 No. 8 Huskies 7 3 3 22 Husky Stadium • Seattle, WA 70,411 ABC Keith Jackson (play-by-play), Tim Brant (analyst), and Todd Harris (sideline reporter) First quarter (13:00) ARIZ – Sean Keel 36-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:00; Arizona 3–0) (2:05) ARIZ – Leo Mills Jr. 10-yard run, kick failed (Drive: 13 plays, 84 yards, 6:03; Arizona 9–0) (1:14) WASH – Marques Tuiasosopo 1-yard run, John Anderson kick (Drive: 3 plays, 67 yards, 0:51; Arizona 9–7) Second quarter (10:44) ARIZ – Mike Detwiler 4-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:30; Arizona 16–7) (8:56) WASH – John Anderson 39-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:48; Arizona 16–10) Third quarter (13:01) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 60-yard punt return, two-point run failed (Arizona 22–10) (7:11) ARIZ – Sean Keel 38-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:30; Arizona 25–10) (3:36) WASH – John Anderson 38-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 3:35; Arizona 25–13) Fourth quarter (10:51) WASH – Willie Hurst 65-yard run, John Anderson kick (Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, 0:18; Arizona 25–20) (8:31) WASH – Willie Hurst 23-yard run, Willie Hurst run for two-point conversion (Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 1:10; Washington 28–25) (4:48) ARIZ – Leo Mills Jr. 51-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 1:39; Arizona 32–28) (1:10) WASH – Marques Tuiasosopo 2-yard run, John Anderson kick (Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 3:38; Washington 35–32) Statistics ARIZWASH First downs 26 18 Total yards 471 407 Rushes–yards 34–263 34–211 Passing yards 208 196 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 13–34–0 17–34–1 Time of possession 35:17 24:43 Team Category Player Statistics Arizona Passing Ortege Jenkins13/33, 208 yards RushingLeo Mills Jr.29 carries, 185 yards, 2 TD Receiving Bobby Wade7 receptions, 76 yards Washington Passing Marques Tuiasosopo17/34, 196 yards, INT Rushing Willie Hurst 8 carries, 116 yards, 2 TD Receiving Jerramy Stevens 8 receptions, 93 yards Looking to get back to the win column, the Wildcats traveled to Seattle to play Washington in another tough road test, as the Huskies were ranked eighth and in the hunt for the conference title. Arizona would outplay Washington in the early part of the game, and led 22–10 in the third quarter on Wade’s punt return for a touchdown and an upset was within the Wildcats’ reach. However, the Huskies showed why they were contending for the Rose Bowl, as they would storm back by the fourth quarter with a 22–7 run and took the lead with a touchdown with over a minute to play. Arizona had a final chance to possibly tie it, but Washington would block a field goal attempt as time expired to give the Wildcats yet another devastating defeat and ended their Rose Bowl hopes for good.Cats collapse against Huskies for more heartbreak Arizona Daily Star November 5, 2000 The Huskies’ win turned out to be revenge for their loss to Jenkins and the Wildcats in the teams’ previous game in Seattle in 1998 when Arizona won on Jenkins’ wild touchdown despite Washington winning in Tucson in 1999.Revenge of ‘98: Huskies come back to beat Arizona The Seattle Times November 5, 2000 vs No. 10 Oregon State 2000 Oregon State Beavers football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats white;text-align:center; autocollapse No. 10 Oregon State Beavers (8–1) vs Arizona Wildcats (5–4) – Game summary November 11, 2000 8:15 p.m. No. 10 Beavers 6 17 0 10 Wildcats 3 0 6 0 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 44,109 Partly cloudy, 52 °F °C Gordon Riese Fox Sports Net Steve Physioc (play-by-play), Tom Ramsey (analyst), Lewis Johnson (sideline reporter) First quarter (10:39) ARIZ – Sean Keel 42-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 4:21; Arizona 3–0) (7:06) OSU – Ryan Cesca 23-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:33; Tied 3–3) (2:03) OSU – Ryan Cesca 44-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 13 yards, 2:57; Oregon State 6–3) Second quarter (13:48) OSU – Patrick McCall 1-yard run, Ryan Cesca kick (Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 2:12; Oregon State 13–3) (9:02) OSU – Chad Johnson 26-yard pass from Jonathan Smith, Ryan Cesca kick (Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 2:51; Oregon State 20–3) (2:16) OSU – Ryan Cesca 31-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:00; Oregon State 23–3) Third quarter (11:18) ARIZ – Sean Keel 31-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:27; Oregon State 23–6) (5:58) ARIZ – Sean Keel 37-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 3:05; Oregon State 23–9) Fourth quarter (13:44) OSU – Ken Simonton 21-yard run, Ryan Cesca kick (Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:56; Oregon State 30–9) (6:40) OSU – Ryan Cesca 30-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 3:26; Oregon State 33–9) Statistics OSUARIZ First downs 22 9 Total yards 304 158 Rushes–yards 41–73 31–69 Passing yards 231 89 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 17–31–1 9–22–1 Time of possession 32:38 27:22 Team Category Player Statistics Oregon State Passing Jonathan Smith17/31, 231 yards, TD, INT RushingKen Simonton19 carries, 73 yards, TD Receiving Chad Johnson7 receptions, 109 yards, TD Arizona Passing Ortege Jenkins6/17, 66 yards, INT Rushing Clarence Farmer 9 carries, 61 yards Receiving Bobby Wade 3 receptions, 38 yards For homecoming weekend, as well as Veteran’s Day (November 11), the Wildcats hosted tenth-ranked Oregon State while continuing to look for a win after three consecutive heartbreaking losses. However, in another difficult test, Arizona would be no match for the Beavers, and only scored on three field goals for the whole game. Fans, angered by yet another loss, chanted for Tomey to be fired as the final minutes ran down. The defeat put the Wildcats in danger of missing a bowl game with a 5–5 record, and needed a win against their rivals in the finale to extend the season.Busy Beavers pelt Cats Arizona Daily Star November 12, 2000 vs Arizona State 2000 Arizona State Sun Devils football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats white;text-align:center; autocollapse Arizona State Sun Devils (5–5) vs Arizona Wildcats (5–5) – Game summary November 24, 2000 4:00 p.m. Sun Devils 3 3 14 10 Wildcats 3 7 7 0 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 54,297 Fox Sports Net Steve Physioc (play-by-play), Tom Ramsey (analyst), Lewis Johnson (sideline reporter) First quarter (12:46) ASU – Mike Barth 39-yard field goal (Arizona State 3–0) (8:21) ARIZ – Sean Keel 25-yard field goal (Tied 3–3) Second quarter (9:34) ARIZ – Ortege Jenkins 2-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Arizona 10–3) (0:11) ASU – Mike Barth 24-yard field goal (Arizona 10–6) Third quarter (12:09) ASU – Mike Barth 13-yard run, Mike Barth kick (Arizona State 13–10) (8:21) ARIZ – Brandon Manumaleuna 14-yard pass from Ortege Jenkins, Sean Keel kick (Arizona 17–13) (6:00) ASU – Terrell Suggs 0-yard fumble return, Mike Barth kick (Arizona State 20–17) Fourth quarter (14:55) ASU – Tom Pace 3-yard run, Mike Barth kick (Arizona State 27–17) (8:49) ASU – Mike Barth 48-yard field goal (Arizona State 30–17) Statistics ASUARIZ First downs 15 21 Total yards 264 371 Rushes–yards 31–75 50–195 Passing yards 189 176 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 15–35–0 16–31–1 Time of possession 27:46 32:14 Team Category Player Statistics Arizona State Passing Jeff Krohn15/35, 189 yards RushingTom Pace16 carries, 31 yards, TD Receiving Richard Williams4 receptions, 61 yards Arizona Passing Ortege Jenkins16/31, 176 yards, TD, INT Rushing Clarence Farmer 11 carries, 82 yards Receiving Brad Brennan 4 receptions, 72 yards Arizona hosted rival Arizona State in the “Duel in the Desert”, needing a win to become bowl-eligible while a loss would end the season with speculation that Tomey would be out as coach.Tomey’s last stand? Arizona Daily Wildcat November 22, 2000 The Sun Devils, who had announced that they would part ways with their coach, Bruce Snyder, after the season due to wins and losses, faced the Wildcats by not having to deal with Canidate and Northcutt anymore (as both were in the NFL) and also tried to end the year on a high note.Winning ‘Duel in the Desert’ is the key for both UA and ASU The Arizona Republic November 23, 2000 In the game, both teams would start slow. As it went on, ASU would outsmart Arizona with a trick play by having the kicker running for a touchdown after faking a field goal try. The play would shift momentum, as the Wildcats committed costly mistakes, including a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown by ASU, that would ultimately seal their fate.One for the books: ASU tops UA in both coaches’ finale The Arizona Republic November 25, 2000 The loss would end the season with a five-game losing streak for the Wildcats. After the game ended, Tomey resigned as coach, citing “public pressure” from the Tucson community due to the program’s inability to fulfill its goal to reach the Rose Bowl after several near-misses at it, which included the successful 1993 and 1998 seasons.An unhappy ending: Tomey’s last game a loss to ASU, resigns as coach afterwards Arizona Daily Star November 25, 2000 Tomey finished with a record of 8–3–1 against ASU as coach. Roster 2000 Arizona Wildcats f 72 Jr Kevin Barry Kevin wiener (American football) OL y 5 So Larry Croom RB y 77 So Makoa Freitas OL y 14 Jr Peter Hansen Peter Hansen (American football) TE y 16 Sr Ortege Jenkins QB y 10 So Jason Johnson Jason Johnson (quarterback) QB y 90 Sr Brandon Manumaleuna TE y 79 Sr Marques McFadden OL y 3 Fr Andrae Thurman WR y 1 So Bobby Wade WR y 27 So Lance Briggs LB y 45 Sr Antonio Pierce LB y 99 Sr Joe Tafoya DE y 7 So Ray Wells DL y *Dick Tomey Awards and honors Bobby Wade, WR, First-team All-Pac-10 Lance Briggs, LB, First-team All-Pac-10 Joe Tafoya, DL, First-team All-Pac-10 Michael Jolivette, DB, Second-team All-Pac-10 Peter Hansen, DL, Second-team All-Pac-10 Season notes Arizona finished the season with a five-game losing streak after starting 5–1, with several fourth-quarter meltdowns during that span ultimately costing the Wildcats at least three victories and a potential larger bowl game.4th-quarter collapses cost Wildcats a bowl and Tomey’s tenure Tucson Citizen December 3, 2000 Tomey avenged his 1994 loss to Utah in the Freedom Bowl by defeating the Utes in the season opener. The Wildcats were originally going to play Penn State for their home opener, but due to fears that the Wildcats would never beat the Nittany Lions after their blowout loss to them in the previous year, they scheduled Ohio State instead.Wildcats to schedule Ohio State at home for 2000 football season Arizona Daily Star May 14, 2000 After the team lost to the Buckeyes, Arizona officials believed that the Wildcats lacked the superior talent that both Ohio State and Penn State had due to both being in the Big Ten. As a result, the Wildcats have not played either team since and it is unlikely that they will ever in the foreseeable future.Arizona unlikely to have chance at beating powerful Big Ten football teams in future Arizona Daily Star September 12, 2000 Arizona would not beat both Stanford and Washington State again until 2006 and would also not beat USC again until 2009, with all three wins occurring on the road. After defeating Washington State in triple overtime, the Wildcats would not get another home win over the Cougars until 2007 and would also not win another Pac-10 home game again until 2003. In addition, Arizona would not win another game in October until 2005. As this was his final season at Arizona, Oregon was the only Pac-10 school that Tomey never beat on the road, with Arizona’s last win being in 1986, the year before he was hired. The closest that Tomey was to ever beating the Ducks in Eugene happened in 1994, when he lost by a single point. Arizona would finally beat Oregon in the road in 2006. The loss to Oregon State was the only game of the season in which the Wildcats failed to score a touchdown, as they only scored nine points on three field goals. The loss to ASU spelled the end for Tomey as he resigned due to not being able to compete for the Rose Bowl, leading to public pressure from fans. Tomey won 95 games with the Wildcats which remains to most by an Arizona football coach, which is unlikely to be surpassed unless a dominant Arizona coach wins more in the future. If not for the late-season collapse, Tomey would have likely remained the coach for 2001 and would have surpassed 100 wins. This was the last season in which Arizona Stadium had the word “Wildcats” in one end zone. Since then, both end zones read “Arizona” on them. After the season Tomey’s resignation as coach stunned his players and the program as a whole. Players were in tears after hearing the news.Tomey resigning a shock to many Wildcat players The Arizona Republic November 25, 2000 Offensive coordinator Dino Babers also resigned out of respect for Tomey and defensive coordinator Rich Ellerson was fired due to a poor defense, meaning that the Wildcats would have a new coaching staff for 2001.Cats to clean house after Tomey steps down Tucson Citizen November 29, 2000 Both coordinators would later become future head coaches, as Ellerson formerly coached at Army and Babers currently in charge at Syracuse. After a national search, Arizona hired former Illinois and Texas coach John Mackovic as Tomey’s successor.UA chooses Mackovic as head football coach Arizona Daily Star December 5, 2000 Mackovic had ties to Arizona, as he served as offensive coordinator under former coach Jim Young from 1973 to 1976. He would also bring back Larry Mac Duff as defensive coordinator, who served under Tomey from 1987 to 1996 and helped build the “Desert Swarm” defense.Mac Duff returns to Wildcats as DC Arizona Daily Wildcat December 12, 2000 The Mackovic era would become a disaster for the Wildcats as he would lose control of the program and became embroiled in controversy. The team declined in wins, and would lead to him being fired during the 2003 season.Mackovic dismissed as Arizona football coach Tucson Citizen September 29, 2003 Also, it began an era of futility and decline for the football program, which would lead to fans becoming more interested in basketball (due to its success by winning) and losing support for football.Wildcat football declining in wins due to Mackovic’s poor decisions Arizona Daily Star December 2, 2002 References Arizona Category:Arizona Wildcats football seasons Arizona Wildcats football