2002 Arizona Wildcats football team

American college football season August 2023 February 2026 football 2002 Arizona Wildcats Arizona Wildcats logo.svg 125 Pacific-10 Pac-10 4–8 1–7 John Mackovic 2nd Rick Dykes 2nd Spread Larry Mac Duff 12th Double Eagle Flex Arizona Stadium The 2002 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. They were coached by John Mackovic in his second season with the Wildcats. Arizona ended the season with a record of 4–8 (1–7 against Pac-10 opponents) and finished tied for last place in the Pac-10 standings. After starting the season 3–1, the Wildcats would continue to struggle in conference play, winning only a single game at California. Late in the season, Mackovic would become embroiled in controversy as a result of mistreatment of players.Mackovic under fire for mistreatment of players Arizona Daily Star November 12, 2002 The team would not recover and ended the year with another losing record. Schedule 2002 AP Mountain August 31 7:00 p.m. w y Northern Arizona 21 (I-AA) Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ FSNAZ 37–3 48,446 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic-ua-takes-to-the-air/178010548/ The Arizona Republic UA takes to the air, buries NAU September 1, 2002 August 2, 2025 Newspapers.com September 14 7:00 p.m. w y Utah Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ FSNAZ 23–17 44,243 September 21 9:00 a.m. l y y Wisconsin 22 Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI ESPN2 10–31 78,582 September 28 7:00 p.m. w y North Texas Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ KWBA 14–9 37,917 October 5 7:00 p.m. l Oregon 8 Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ FSN 14–31 47,356 October 12 12:30 p.m. l y Washington 22 Husky Stadium Seattle, WA FSN 28–32 71,016 October 19 2:00 p.m. l y Stanford Stanford Stadium Palo Alto, CA FSN 6–16 33,800 October 26 7:00 p.m. l Washington State 9 Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ FSN 13–21 46,462 November 2 2:00 p.m. l y Oregon State Reser Stadium Corvallis, OR FSN 3–38 36,644 November 9 7:30 p.m. l y UCLA Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ FSNAZ 7–37 43,613 November 16 1:30 p.m. w y California California Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA FSN 52–41 28,808 November 29 1:00 p.m. l Arizona State Territorial Cup Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ FSN 20–34 47,005 Before the season Arizona completed the 2001 season in Mackovic’s first year with the program with a 5–6 record and a victory over rival Arizona State. The team would rebuild during the offseason and hoped to improve on their record for 2002. With receiver Bobby Wade and linebacker Lance Briggs returning for their final season for one last crack at a bowl game appearance, the Wildcats looked to contend for a winning season and fulfill Mackovic’s promise of reaching the Rose Bowl.Cats hope to have football success this fall Arizona Daily Star July 20, 2002 Game summaries vs Northern Arizona 2002 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white ;text-align:center autocollapse Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (0–0) vs Arizona Wildcats (0–0) – Game summary August 31, 2002 7:00 P.M. Lumberjacks 0 3 0 0 Wildcats 10 17 7 3 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 48,446 Cloudy, 94 °F °C David Cutaia Fox Sports Arizona First quarter (9:25) ARIZ – Sean Keel 48-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 2:45; Arizona 3–0) (2:48) ARIZ – Clarence Farmer 2-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 2:14; Arizona 10–0) Second quarter (10:04) ARIZ – Sean Keel 24-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 3:19; Arizona 13–0) (6:45) NAU – Paul Ernster 22-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:12; Arizona 13–3) (5:27) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 52-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:12; Arizona 20–3) (1:18) ARIZ – James Hugo 20-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 2:56; Arizona 27–3) Third quarter (5:59) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 24-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:00; Arizona 34–3) Fourth quarter (8:35) ARIZ – Bobby Gill 26-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, -1 yard, 1:40; Arizona 37–3) Statistics NAU ARIZ First downs 925 Total yards 202510 Rushing yards 28–11541–103 Passing yards 87407 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 11–25–123–41–0 Time of possession 25:5334:07 Team Category Player StatisticsNorthern Arizona Passing Clint Womack11/25, 87 yards, INT Rushing Brian Bingham7 carries, 73 yards Receiving Raufeem Jackson1 reception, 32 yardsArizona Passing Jason Johnson20/36, 381 yards, 3 TD Rushing Mike Bell13 carries, 59 yards Receiving Bobby Wade8 receptions, 133 yards, 2 TD The Wildcats began the season by hosting in-state foe Northern Arizona from Flagstaff. It was the first meeting between the two since 1945.UA football to play NAU to start ‘02 season Tucson Citizen August 28, 2002 The Wildcats would dominate the Lumberjacks from the start for an easy win.Cats pass first test, dominate NAU in season opener Arizona Daily Star September 1, 2002 vs Utah 2002 Utah Utes football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white ;text-align:center autocollapse Utah Utes (1–0) vs Arizona Wildcats (1–0) – Game summary September 15, 2002 7:00 P.M. Utes 0 7 7 3 Wildcats 7 6 10 0 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 44,243 Clear, 92 °F °C Jim Fogltance Fox Sports Arizona First quarter (6:23) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 47-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:40; Arizona 7–0) Second quarter (11:01) ARIZ – Sean Keel 21-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 3:59; Arizona 10–0) (7:46) UTAH – Josh Lyman 5-yard pass from Lance Rice, Bryan Borreson kick (Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 1:27; Arizona 10–7) (0:09) ARIZ – Sean Keel 19-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 1:16; Arizona 13–7) Third quarter (12:45) ARIZ – Andrae Thurman 44-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:10; Arizona 20–7) (10:16) ARIZ – Sean Keel 39-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, -3 yards, 1:14; Arizona 23–7) (5:56) UTAH – Paris Jackson 7-yard pass from Lance Rice, Bryan Borreson kick (Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, 1:02; Arizona 23–14) Fourth quarter (4:51) UTAH – Bryan Borreson 53-yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 1:34; Arizona 23–17) Statistics UTAH ARIZ First downs 1123 Total yards 204459 Rushing yards 22–3244–43 Passing yards 172416 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 18–38–024–35–1 Time of possession 23:2836:32 Team Category Player StatisticsUtah Passing Lance Rice18/38, 172 yards, 2 TD Rushing J.R. Peroulis9 carries, 18 yards Receiving Devin Houston4 receptions, 62 yardsArizona Passing Jason Johnson24/35, 416 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Clarence Farmer33 carries, 79 yards Receiving Bobby Wade40 receptions, 175 yards, TD In their next game against Utah, Arizona started off hot with a Wade touchdown catch. The Wildcats would add to their lead with a pair of field goals before halftime. In the second half, Arizona increased their lead after a Briggs forced fumble which turned into another field goal. By the fourth quarter, the Utes would rally to cut the Arizona lead to a single score. In the final minute, they threatened to possibly win it by entering Wildcat territory. They would be denied a touchdown when a Utah receiver stepped out of bounds after a catch, though replays showed that he may have had a foot in bounds, which became controversial among Utah fans. A few plays later, the Wildcats would stop the Utes short of the goal line on fourth down, and Arizona survived move to 2–0 for the second consecutive season under Mackovic.Wildcats edge Utes, survive late Utah threat Tucson Citizen September 15, 2002Utah falls short to Arizona after late controversial finish The Salt Lake Tribune September 15, 2002 Arizona’s defense shut down Utah’s rushing offense (which was ranked second at the time), limiting them to only 36 yards. at No. 22 Wisconsin 2002 Wisconsin Badgers football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white;text-align:center autocollapse Arizona Wildcats (2–0) at No. 22 Wisconsin Badgers (4–0) – Game summary September 21, 2002 9:00 A.M. Wildcats 0 0 7 3 No. 22 Badgers 0 24 7 0 Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI 78,582 Sunny and Clear, 63 °F °C Dave Witvoet ESPN2 First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter (14:53) WIS – Anthony Davis 6-yard run, Scott Campbell kick (Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 2:49; Wisconsin 7–0) (13:45) WIS – Anthony Davis 3-yard run, Scott Campbell kick (Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:49; Wisconsin 14–0) (4:03) WIS – Jonathan Orr 17-yard pass from Brooks Bollinger, Scott Campbell kick (Drive: 10 plays, 96 yards, 4:50; Wisconsin 21–0) (0:12) WIS – Scott Campbell 32-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 21 yards, 2:39; Wisconsin 24–0) Third quarter (10:15) ARIZ – Clarence Farmer 70-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 7 plays, 94 yards, 2:16; Wisconsin 24–7) (1:39) WIS – Brooks Bollinger 1-yard run, Scott Campbell kick (Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 8:31; Wisconsin 31–7) Fourth quarter (8:12) ARIZ – Sean Keel 27-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 11 yards, 2:29; Wisconsin 31–10) Statistics ARIZWIS First downs 1321 Total yards 292425 Rushing yards 30–15447–260 Passing yards 138165 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 14–32–215–22–0 Time of possession 26:0633:54 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Jason Johnson13/27, 129 yards, INT Rushing Clarence Farmer20 carries, 136 yards, TD Receiving Bobby Wade7 receptions, 85 yardsWisconsin Passing Brooks Bollinger13/19, 127 yards, TD Rushing Anthony Davis16 carries, 110 yards, 2 TD Receiving Jonathan Orr7 receptions, 90 yards, TD Arizona traveled to Wisconsin to play the #22 Badgers in the first ever meeting between the two teams. After a scoreless first quarter, Wisconsin broke it open with 24 points, drawing comparisons to Arizona’s embarrassing loss to Penn State in 1999. The Wildcats would play better in the second half, but the big halftime deficit would be too much for them to overcome and lost for the first time in the season.Badgers maul Wildcats, 31-10 Arizona Daily Wildcat September 23, 2002 Arizona’s dominant offense fell silent against the Badgers and Mackovic lost his first non-conference game as Wildcat coach. vs North Texas 2002 North Texas Mean Green football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white ;text-align:center autocollapse North Texas Mean Green (1–3) vs Arizona Wildcats (2–1) – Game summary September 28, 2002 7:00 P.M. Mean Green 3 3 3 0 Wildcats 0 14 0 0 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 37,917 Cloudy, 85 F C Gordon Riese KWBA First quarter (5:14) UNT – Nick Bazaldua 44-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 4:56; North Texas 3–0) Second quarter (8:13) UNT – Nick Bazaldua 32-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 4:05; North Texas 6–0) (2:34) ARIZ – Mike Bell 14-yard run, Drew Dunning kick (Drive: 1 play, 14 yards, 0:05; Arizona 7–6) (0:00) ARIZ – Gary Love 60-yard blocked field goal return, Sean Keel kick (Arizona 14–6) Third quarter (10:52) UNT – Nick Bazaldua 31-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:03; Arizona 14–9) Fourth quarter No scoring plays Statistics UNT ARIZ First downs 2120 Total yards 431310 Rushing yards 60–28235–121 Passing yards 431310 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 12–18–116–27–0 Time of possession 31:2128:39 Team Category Player StatisticsNorth Texas Passing Andrew Smith12/18, 149 yards, INT Rushing Kevin Galbreath22 carries, 104 yards Receiving George Marshall6 receptions, 82 yardsArizona Passing Jason Johnson16/27, 189 yards Rushing Clarence Farmer15 carries, 70 yards Receiving Bobby Wade4 receptions, 37 yards vs No. 8 Oregon 2002 Oregon Ducks football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white ;text-align:center autocollapse No. 8 Oregon Ducks (4–0) vs Arizona Wildcats (3–1) – Game summary October 5, 2002 7:00 P.M. No. 8 Ducks 7 10 7 7 Wildcats 14 0 0 0 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 47,356 Clear, 80 F C Jay Stricherz Fox Sports Arizona First quarter (11:57) ARIZ – Mike Bell 19-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 1:27; Arizona 7–0) (8:03) ORE – Onterrio Smith 3-yard run, Jared Siegel kick (Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:48; Tied 7–7) (1:53) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 16-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 1:50; Arizona 14–7) Second quarter (5:25) ORE – Onterrio Smith 10-yard run, Jared Siegel kick (Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 1:12; Tied 14–14) (0:39) ORE – Jared Siegel 53-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 2:56; Oregon 17–14) Third quarter (6:00) ORE – Keenan Howry 33-yard pass from Jason Fife, Jared Siegel kick (Drive: 5 plays, 78 yards, 2:04; Oregon 24–14) Fourth quarter (14:54) ORE – Terrence Whitehead 9-yard pass from Jason Fife, Jared Siegel kick (Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 4:58; Oregon 31–14) Statistics ORE ARIZ First downs 2116 Total yards 432332 Rushing yards 43–18827–30 Passing yards 244302 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 18–27–023–41–1 Time of possession 30:4029:20 Team Category Player StatisticsOregon Passing Jason Fife18/26, 244 yards, 2 TD Rushing Onterrio Smith28 carries, 145 yards, 2 TD Receiving Keenan Howry2 receptions, 49 yards, TDArizona Passing Jason Johnson23/41, 302 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Mike Bell21 carries, 54 yards Receiving Bobby Wade12 receptions, 151 yards, TD After a close win over North Texas (which featured Arizona’s blocked field goal return for a touchdown before halftime), the Wildcats hosted Oregon yet again. Arizona looked great early, leading 14-7 after the opening quarter. However, the eighth-ranked Ducks would take control of the game and shut out the Wildcats the rest of the way. Despite the loss, Wade had a career-high 12 receptions, including a touchdown.Ducks thump Cats; Oregon’s big 2nd half dooms UA Arizona Daily Star October 6, 2002 at No. 22 Washington 2002 Washington Huskies football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white;text-align:center autocollapse Arizona Wildcats (3–2) at No. 22 Washington Huskies (3–2) – Game summary October 12, 2002 12:30 P.M. Wildcats 7 7 7 7 No. 22 Huskies 3 13 10 6 Husky Stadium • Seattle, WA 71,016 Sunny, Clear, 54 °F °C Jack Folliard Fox Sports Arizona First quarter (9:15) ARIZ – Beau Carr 1-yard run, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 5:45; Arizona 7–0) (2:42) WASH – John Anderson 37-yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 6:33; Arizona 7–3) Second quarter (10:21) WASH – Rich Alexis 3-yard run, John Anderson kick (Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:04; Washington 10–7) (2:00) WASH – Reggie Williams 10-yard pass from Cody Pickett, kick failed (Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 4:59; Washington 16–7) (0:49) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 2-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 1:11; Washington 16–14) Third quarter (11:40) WASH – Reggie Williams 26-yard pass from Cody Pickett, John Anderson kick (Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:20; Washington 23–14) (2:50) WASH – John Anderson 52-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:54; Washington 26–14) (0:58) ARIZ – Andrae Thurman 20-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:52; Washington 26–21) Fourth quarter (12:41) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 28-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 2:12; Arizona 28–26) (2:03) WASH – Reggie Williams 80-yard pass from Cody Pickett, two-point pass failed (Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:17; Washington 32–28) Statistics ARIZWASH First downs 2624 Total yards 467427 Rushing yards 29–2438–96 Passing yards 443345 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 29–41–125–35–0 Time of possession 26:5733:02 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Jason Johnson29/41, 443 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Mike Bell19 carries, 54 yards Receiving Bobby Wade10 receptions, 155 yards, 2 TDWashington Passing Cody Pickett25/35, 345 yards, 3 TD Rushing Rich Alexis23 carries, 56 yards, TD Receiving Reggie Williams8 receptions, 184 yards, 3 TD The Wildcats visited Washington for the third straight season. Arizona would lead in the fourth quarter, only to see the #22 Huskies come back with a long touchdown catch and run past their secondary and gave the Wildcats another stunning loss for the third year in a row.Huskies do it again: Late 4th quarter rally tops Arizona The Seattle Times October 13, 2002 at Stanford 2002 Stanford Cardinal football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white;text-align:center autocollapse Arizona Wildcats (3–3) at Stanford Cardinal (1–4) – Game summary October 19, 2002 2:00 P.M. Wildcats 3 3 0 0 Cardinal 10 0 3 3 Stanford Stadium • Stanford, CA 33,800 Sunny and clear, 71 °F °C Jim Fogltance Fox Sports Arizona First quarter (9:55) STAN – Michael Sgroi 45-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 40 yards, 3:27; Stanford 3–0) (8:13) STAN – Alex Smith 12-yard pass from Chris Lewis, Michael Sgroi kick (Drive: 2 plays, 17 yards, 0:08; Stanford 10–0) (1:47) ARIZ – Bobby Gill 25-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:35; Stanford 10–3) Second quarter (0:02) ARIZ – Bobby Gill 23-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 3:53; Stanford 10–6) Third quarter (8:01) STAN – Michael Sgroi 27-yard field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 70 yards, 6:59; Stanford 13–6) Fourth quarter (2:21) STAN – Michael Sgroi 21-yard field goal (Drive: 19 plays, 83 yards, 9:06; Stanford 16–6) Statistics ARIZSTAN First downs 1424 Total yards 266372 Rushing yards 23–2249–175 Passing yards 244197 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 19–31–321–37–1 Time of possession 23:1836:42 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Jason Johnson19/30, 244 yards, 3 INT Rushing Beau Carr9 carries, 44 yards Receiving Bobby Wade8 receptions, 121 yardsStanford Passing Chris Lewis14/27, 126 yards, TD Rushing Kerry Carter27 carries, 98 yards Receiving Alex Smith8 receptions, 120 yards, TD vs No. 9 Washington State 2002 Washington State Cougars football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white ;text-align:center autocollapse No. 9 Washington State Cougars (6–1) vs Arizona Wildcats (3–4) – Game summary October 26, 2002 7:00 P.M. No. 9 Cougars 2 3 9 7 Wildcats 0 10 3 0 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 46,462 Partly cloudy, 67 F C David Cutaia Fox Sports Arizona First quarter (3:57) WSU – Team safety (Washington State 2–0) Second quarter (6:21) ARIZ – Bobby Gill 47-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 2:08; Arizona 3–2) (2:45) WSU – Drew Dunning 22-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:26; Washington State 5–3) (0:51) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 27-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 1:40; Arizona 10–5) Third quarter (11:38) WSU – Drew Dunning 36-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 3:13; Arizona 10–8) (4:59) ARIZ – Bobby Gill 42-yard field goal (Drive: 19 plays, 61 yards, 6:30; Arizona 13–8) (2:04) WSU – Devard Darling 16-yard pass from Jason Gesser, two-point run failed (Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 2:42; Washington State 14–13) Fourth quarter (7:37) WSU – Jermaine Green 18-yard run, Drew Dunning kick (Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 1:53; Washington State 21–13) Statistics WSU ARIZ First downs 2414 Total yards 424207 Rushing yards 46–14921– -17 Passing yards 275224 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 20–35–022–46–2 Time of possession 32:5327:07 Team Category Player StatisticsWashington State Passing Jason Gesser20/35, 275 yards, TD Rushing Jermaine Green29 carries, 119 yards, TD Receiving Troy Bienemann3 receptions, 66 yardsArizona Passing Jason Johnson22/46, 224 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Mike Bell7 carries, 25 yards Receiving Andrae Thurman7 receptions, 89 yards Arizona returned home and played against ninth-ranked Washington State, who ironically, was the team that the Wildcats beat for their last Pac-10 home win in 2000 (when they still had Dick Tomey as coach before hiring Mackovic). The defense, led by Briggs, would keep the Wildcats in it, but the offense sputtered, mostly due to being blitzed by the Cougars. Arizona would make crucial mistakes in the final quarter after having chances to come back, and would lead to another loss.Cats miss opportunities, come up short against No. 9 Cougars Arizona Daily Star October 27, 2002 at Oregon State 2002 Oregon State Beavers football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white;text-align:center autocollapse Arizona Wildcats (3–5) at Oregon State Beavers (5–3) – Game summary November 2, 2002 2:00 P.M. Wildcats 0 0 3 0 Beavers 14 14 3 7 Reser Stadium • Corvallis, OR 36,644 Sunny, Clear, 48 °F °C Chuck McFerrin Fox Sports Arizona First quarter (11:45) OSU – Steven Jackson 5-yard run, Kirk Yliniemi kick (Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 3:15; Oregon State 7–0) (3:48) OSU – Derek Anderson 1-yard run, Kirk Yliniemi kick (Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:23; Oregon State 14–0) Second quarter (14:17) OSU – James Newson 86-yard pass from Derek Anderson, Kirk Yliniemi kick (Drive: 1 play, 86 yards, 0:12; Oregon State 21–0) (1:02) OSU – Steven Jackson 1-yard run, Kirk Yliniemi kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:38; Oregon State 28–0) Third quarter (4:08) OSU – Kirk Yliniemi 28-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 24 yards, 3:08; Oregon State 31–0) (1:02) ARIZ – Bobby Gill 43-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 2:58; Oregon State 31–3) Fourth quarter (2:20) OSU – Dan Haines 13-yard pass from Adam Rothenfluh, Kirk Yliniemi kick (Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:29; Oregon State 38–3) Statistics ARIZOSU First downs 1220 Total yards 93457 Rushing yards 25– -2348–193 Passing yards 116264 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 15–33–014–31–0 Time of possession 28:1531:45 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Jason Johnson14/28, 105 yards Rushing Beau Carr11 carries, 36 yards Receiving Andrae Thurman5 receptions, 45 yardsOregon State Passing Derek Anderson12/28, 239 yards, TD Rushing Steven Jackson27 carries, 134 yards, 2 TD Receiving James Newson6 receptions, 121 yards, TD vs UCLA 2002 UCLA Bruins football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white ;text-align:center autocollapse UCLA Bruins (6–3) vs Arizona Wildcats (3–6) – Game summary November 9, 2002 7:30 P.M. Bruins 10 10 14 3 Wildcats 0 7 0 0 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 43,613 Clear Skies, 66 F C Jay Stricherz Fox Sports Arizona First quarter (12:47) UCLA – Tyler Ebell 22-yard run, Nate Fikse kick (Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:13; UCLA 7–0) (8:52) UCLA – Nate Fikse 39-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 2:45; UCLA 10–0) Second quarter (12:45) UCLA – Tyler Ebell 19-yard run, Nate Fikse kick (Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:01; UCLA 17–0) (10:42) ARIZ – Andrae Thurman 92-yard pass from Nic Costa, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:58; UCLA 17–7) (8:02) UCLA – Nate Fikse 51-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 2:30; UCLA 20–7) Third quarter (13:45) UCLA – Craig Bragg 33-yard pass from Drew Olson, Nate Fikse kick (Drive: 1 play, 33 yards, 0:10; UCLA 27–7) (6:51) UCLA – Manuel White 1-yard run, Nate Fikse kick (Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 5:06; UCLA 34–7) Fourth quarter (14:51) UCLA – Nate Fikse 23-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 4:41; UCLA 37–7) Statistics UCLA ARIZ First downs 219 Total yards 443249 Rushing yards 51–24228–12 Passing yards 201237 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 13–20–013–27–0 Time of possession 33:3426:26 Team Category Player StatisticsUCLA Passing Drew Olson7/12, 111 yards, TD Rushing Tyler Ebell22 carries, 124 yards, 2 TD Receiving Tab Perry3 receptions, 89 yardsArizona Passing Jason Johnson11/23, 133 yards Rushing Gainus Scott8 carries, 32 yards Receiving Andrae Thurman5 receptions, 118 yards, TD On homecoming day, the Wildcats hosted UCLA. Arizona’s offense continued to struggle, and only scored on a long catch and run for a touchdown that would prevent a shutout. The defense was hurt by penalties and poor tackling, leading to the Bruins scoring over 30 points. The Wildcats would go on to drop their sixth consecutive loss of the year.Bruins pound Wildcats; UA loses 6th in a row Tucson Citizen November 10, 2002 Mackovic controversy Controversy erupted days after the loss, when Mackovic told one of his players that his poor blocking during the game made him a “disgrace to his family”, which hurt his feelings, as well as his teammates.Players hurt by Mackovic’s remarks Arizona Daily Star November 12, 2002 Led by Briggs, the players reported the incident to both the Arizona president and athletic director, and discussed about a series of abuses by Mackovic, including one where Mackovic made a meltdown to the team after the loss to Wisconsin earlier in the season.UA football players meet with president about coach’s behavior The Arizona Republic November 13, 2002 The news made headlines around the Arizona campus as well as Tucson. In a press conference, Mackovic issued an apology to the program and the community and promised to treat respect to the team. Despite fans calling for his firing for both his behavior and the team’s losses, Mackovic would remain the coach through the end of the season.Mackovic apologizes for misbehavior at team Arizona Daily Star November 14, 2002 at California 2002 California Golden Bears football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white;text-align:center autocollapse Arizona Wildcats (3–6) at California Golden Bears (6–4) – Game summary November 16, 2002 1:30 P.M. Wildcats 0 24 7 21 Golden Bears 3 14 14 10 California Memorial Stadium • Berkeley, CA 28,808 Hazy, 66 °F °C Gordon Riese Fox Sports Arizona First quarter (8:18) CAL – Mark Jensen 43-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 33 yards, 4:43; California 3–0) Second quarter (14:50) ARIZ – Justin Levasseur 1-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 3 plays, 76 yards, 0:42; Arizona 7–3) (12:32) ARIZ – Ray Wells 42-yard interception return, Bobby Gill kick (Arizona 14–3) (12:15) CAL – LaShaun Ward 94-yard kickoff return, Mark Jensen kick (Arizona 14–10) (8:42) ARIZ – Bobby Gill 30-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:33; Arizona 17–10) (3:15) CAL – LaShaun Ward 25-yard pass from Kyle Boller, Mark Jensen kick (Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 1:14; Tied 17–17) (1:52) ARIZ – Lance Relford 31-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 1:23; Arizona 24–17) Third quarter (13:44) CAL – James Bethea 60-yard blocked field goal return, Mark Jensen kick (Tied 24–24) (12:37) ARIZ – Lamon Means 27-yard blocked punt return, Bobby Gill kick (Arizona 31–24) (2:06) CAL – Joe Igber 38-yard run, Mark Jensen kick (Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 1:08; Tied 31–31) Fourth quarter (14:57) CAL – Mark Jensen 19-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:51; California 34–31) (12:37) ARIZ – Justin Levasseur 9-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 6:12; Arizona 38–34) (8:45) ARIZ – Bobby Wade 7-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:52; Arizona 45–34) (3:57) ARIZ – Beau Carr 4-yard run, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:09; Arizona 52–34) (0:37) CAL – Tom Swoboda 11-yard pass from Kyle Boller, Mark Jensen kick (Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 2:10; Arizona 52–41) Statistics ARIZCAL First downs 2320 Total yards 487356 Rushing yards 32– -527–58 Passing yards 492298 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 31–45–122–45–2 Time of possession 32:3930:33 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Jason Johnson31/45, 492 yards, 4 TD, INT Rushing Gilbert Harris27 carries, 165 yards Receiving Bobby Wade11 receptions, 222 yards, TDCalifornia Passing Kyle Boller22/45, 298 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Joe Igber19 carries, 90 yards, TD Receiving Tom Swoboda7 receptions, 83 yards, TD After moving on from the Mackovic fiasco, Arizona visited California, looking to break their losing streak. The Wildcats would dominate on offense, throwing for nearly 500 yards. Wade had over 200 yards receiving and tight end Justin Levasseur, who was the player that Mackovic mistreated which started the controversy, caught a touchdown pass to give Arizona the lead for good. The Wildcats’ defense would play poor, but their offensive performance was just enough for them to get past the Golden Bears to end their slump for their first Pac-10 win in a high-scoring match.Cats roar to life; Offense comes up big to snap losing skid Arizona Daily Star November 17, 2002 It was the second consecutive year that Mackovic won his first conference game at California. vs Arizona State 2002 Arizona State Sun Devils football team #fff #eee Arizona Wildcats;color:white ;text-align:center autocollapse Arizona State Sun Devils (7–5) vs Arizona Wildcats (4–7) – Game summary November 29, 2002 1:00 P.M. Sun Devils 3 7 10 14 Wildcats 7 6 7 0 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ 47,005 Partly Cloudy, 62 °F °C Jim Fogltance Fox Sports Arizona First quarter (5:53) ASU – Mike Barth 27-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 1 yards, 1:31; Arizona State 3–0) (2:51) ARIZ – Beau Carr 1-yard run, Sean Keel kick (Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 2:54; Arizona 7–3) Second quarter (10:24) ASU – Mike Williams 5-yard run, Mike Barth kick (Drive: 10 plays, 94 yards, 4:32; Arizona State 10–7) (0:54) ARIZ – Beau Carr 6-yard run, kick failed (Drive: 10 plays, 100 yards, 3:34; Arizona 13–10) Third quarter (10:38) ASU – Mike Barth 32-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 4:18; Tied 13–13) (6:51) ARIZ – Biren Ealy 10-yard pass from Jason Johnson, Bobby Gill kick (Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:18; Arizona 20–13) (1:55) ASU – Mike Williams 4-yard run, Mike Barth kick (Drive: 13 plays, 84 yards, 4:47; Tied 20–20) Fourth quarter (9:10) ASU – Mike Williams 8-yard run, Mike Barth kick (Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 4:14; Arizona State 27–20) (6:51) ASU – Mike Williams 4-yard run, Mike Barth kick (Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 2:06; Arizona State 34–20) Statistics ASU ARIZ First downs 2720 Total yards 461331 Rushing yards 49–16625–62 Passing yards 295269 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 25–35–217–31–3 Time of possession 36:0024:00 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona State Passing Andrew Walter25/35, 295 yards, 2 INT Rushing Mike Williams40 carries, 162 yards, 4 TD Receiving Mike Pinkard6 receptions, 80 yardsArizona Passing Jason Johnson17/31, 269 yards, TD, 3 INT Rushing Mike Bell12 carries, 70 yards Receiving Bobby Wade6 receptions, 109 yards Mackovic looked to earn his second straight “Duel in the Desert” win as the Wildcats went back to Tucson to face Arizona State in the rivalry game. Arizona donned blue pants for the game, which was the first time that they wore them at home in their history (they had worn white pants for all home games before then).Wildcats to go all-blue for game against ASU Arizona Daily Wildcat November 27, 2002 In a game that was filled with turnovers and penalties, the Wildcats led 13-10 at the half, but would make the more crucial mistakes that would cost them, as ASU would capitalize in the second half and would outscore Arizona to end the Wildcats’ season with a 4-8 record.Sun Devils trample rival Wildcats The Arizona Republic November 30, 2002 Both Wade and Briggs finished their Wildcat careers with a 1–3 record against the Sun Devils and no bowl appearances. Several mistakes thwarted scoring chances for Arizona and near the end of the game, the Wildcats’ student section chanted for Mackovic to be fired and the Wildcats’ futile season was finally over.Wildcats’ 2002 football season was full of futility and controversy Arizona Daily Star December 1, 2002 Roster 2002 Arizona Wildcats f 1 Sr Bobby Wade WR y 4 Jr Andrae Thurman WR y 5 Fr Mike Jefferson WR 7 Fr Nic Costa QB y 10 Sr Jason Johnson Jason Johnson (quarterback) QB y 11 Sr Gens Goodman WR 15 Fr Ryan O'Hara QB 17 Fr Phil Linduska QB 18 Jr Lance Relford WR 21 Fr Beau Carr RB 23 Fr Gainus Scott RB y 26 Fr Mike Bell Mike Bell (running back) RB y y 32 Jr Clarence Farmer RB 34 So Chris Harris RB 35 Fr Sean Jones FB y 36 Fr Gilbert Harris FB 37 Sr Joseph Willrodt FB 39 Fr Seth Crozier RB 45 Fr Antoine Singfield FB y 46 Fr Matt Padron TE 65 Sr John Vorsheck OL 66 Fr Kili Lefotu OL 67 So Keoki Fraser OL 68 Jr Brandon Phillips OT 70 Fr John Parada OT 72 Sr Tanner Bell OL 73 Sr Aaron Higginbotham OL 75 Jr Reggie Sampay OL 76 Jr Matt Lamatsch OT 77 So Makoa Freitas OT y 78 Sr Darren Safranek OL 79 Fr Keith Jackson OT 81 Jr Juan Valentine WR 82 Fr Biren Ealy WR 83 Sr Scott Altick WR 84 So Ricky Williams WR 85 Fr Willis Morrison WR 86 Fr Mitchell Willis TE 87 So Steve Fleming TE 89 Sr James Hugo TE 2 Sr David Hinton CB 3 Fr Jason Martin CB 5 Fr Bennie Brown CB 6 Fr Darrell Brooks DB y 7 Sr Ray Wells LB 8 Jr Michael Jolivette CB 9 Jr Gary Love DB 12 Fr Adam Moro S 13 Jr Luis Nunez CB 14 Fr Jerome Parker DB 17 Fr Gary Shepard CB 19 Fr Lamon Means S 24 Jr Anthony Fulcher S 25 So Kirk Johnson LB 29 So Danny Perry S 33 Jr Clay Hardt S 27 Sr Lance Briggs LB y 30 So Tony Wingate S 31 So Justin Jochum S 35 Fr Anderson Phillips DB y 37 Sr Johnny Bailey DB 38 Fr Akin Akinniyi LB 40 Fr John McKinney LB 41 Sr Scott McKee LB 42 Jr Joe Siofele LB 44 So Patrick Howard LB 46 So Lee Patterson DB 47 Sr Jarvie Worcester S 48 Fr Landon Kafentzis S y 49 Jr Matt Molina LB 50 So Ben Dalmolin LB 51 Fr Spencer Larsen LB 53 Fr Pedro Limon LB y 55 Fr Marcus Smith DE 56 Jr Andre Torrey DE 57 So Justin Stewart LB 58 Fr Tim Volk DE 59 So Chris Johnson OL 61 Sr Robert Ramsey DL 62 Fr Nick McCalmont LB y 67 Fr Jeremy Willoughby DL y 69 Fr John Abramo DL y 83 Fr Copeland Bryan DL y 85 Jr Javier Martinez DE 86 Fr Marlon Brisco DL 90 Jr Carl Tuitavuli DT 91 Fr Brad Brittain DT y 92 So Carlos Williams DE 93 Sr Young Thompson DT 94 Fr Paul Philipp DL 95 Fr Jake Belshe DL 96 Fr Matt Lam DL y 97 Fr Isaac Watts DE y 98 So Fata Avegalio DL 99 So Vince Feula DL 3 Sr Sean Keel K 12 Jr Ramey Peru P 16 Fr Nick Folk K y 20 Jr James Molina P 28 Jr Bobby Gill K 29 Fr Ryan Fusco P y 34 So Ryan Slack K 43 Fr Danny Baugher P http://arizonawildcats.com/roster.aspx?roster=122&path=football *John Mackovic *Rick Dykes – Offensive coordinator Larry Mac Duff – Defensive coordinator Awards and honors Bobby Wade, WR, First-team All-Pac-10 Lance Briggs, LB, First-team All-Pac-10 Ray Wells, LB, First-team All-Pac-10 Makoa Freitas, OL, Second-team All-Pac-10 Season notes Arizona played twelve games in a season for the first time since 1999. Arizona opened the year against Northern Arizona and the two would play often frequently since then (NAU would play ASU a few times). The Wildcats would dominate NAU in most of their future matchups until NAU would finally win in 2021. The Wildcats would not beat Utah again until 2012, when Utah and Arizona became conference foes. This was the first and only time that Arizona and North Texas would meet (the Wildcats defeated the Mean Green in a game that featured Arizona scoring on a blocked kick, which remains the most recent time that they would return a blocked field goal for a score). This was the third consecutive year that Arizona had a near-miss of defeating Washington after the Huskies scoring late to win. The Wildcats did not score a touchdown in their losses to Stanford and Oregon State (both on the road). The former would be Stanford’s only conference win of the season and the latter being an identical final score from the previous season (38-3). The game against California (which aired on FSN) was not broadcast live in the Tucson market, supposedly due to the controversy involving Mackovic. Arizona fans would eventually view the game, as FSN aired it on a tape delay later that day as well as the following day.UA-Cal game to air on tape delay, won’t be aired live in Tucson in wake of Mackovic scandal Arizona Daily Wildcat November 15, 2002 The win over Cal would be the only good thing for the team following the Mackovic controversy, as Arizona officials believed that the Wildcats would not win a big game as long as Mackovic was coach due to his troubles. In the loss to Arizona State, fans who were furious over Mackovic and the inability to win big games, chanted “Fire Mackovic” and “We have basketball” as time expired at the end of the game, referring the fact that they were relived that the season was over and wanted the Wildcats to get a new coach to bring honesty, and looked to basketball as that program was continuing to be dominant.UA fans move on from football, focus on basketball Arizona Daily Wildcat December 2, 2002 With Arizona continuously losing in Pac-10 play and the fallout of Mackovic late in the season, it broke the promise of him leading the team to the Rose Bowl as coach when he was hired before the 2001 season.Arizona will never be Rose Bowl contenders under Mackovic Tucson Citizen December 3, 2002 As Wade would graduate after the season, this was officially the last year of Arizona’s “Desert Storm” era (a phrase that referenced the Wildcats’ dominant offense that began in their big 1998 season and was a pun on their dominant “Desert Swarm” defense under Tomey in the early 1990s).Wildcat football’s big offensive era now history Arizona Daily Star December 5, 2002 Wade made Arizona history this season, as he caught 93 passes, which broke the Arizona record for most receptions for a receiver in a single season. Wade passed Dennis Northcutt’s record of 88 from 1999 and the 93 receptions in 2002 is still an Arizona record to this day. Also, Wade is second to Northcutt in terms of single-season receiving yards with 1,389 this season (Northcutt had 1,422 in 1999) and holds the record for career receiving yards with 3,351, surpassing Northcutt’s record of 3,252. Wade is behind Northcutt with 23 touchdowns (Northcutt had 24) and held the Arizona record of career receptions with 230 until Mike Thomas broke it in 2008 with 259.Wade ends Arizona career as wide receiver with two broken records Arizona Daily Star December 5, 2002 Arizona’s 1–7 conference record would end up being one of the worst records in their history. They would also tie that record in the following year.Arizona football was terrible in Pac-10 play in ‘02 Arizona Daily Wildcat December 6, 2002 After the season As Arizona finished with yet another losing season, Mackovic was retained for the 2003 season, despite fans calling for him to be fired. However, Mac Duff was fired as defensive coordinator due to the team’s poor defensive performance, which ended his Arizona career for good.Mac Duff dismissed as UA defensive coordinator Tucson Citizen December 9, 2002 The Wildcats struggled on defense in Mac Duff’s second stint with the program, as opposed to his first when they were dominant under him and Tomey.Cats fire Mac Duff; Defense was unable to be ‘Swarm’-like in second stint Arizona Daily Star December 9, 2002 Many players considered leaving the team or transferring to other schools during the offseason as a result of Mackovic’s behavior.Wildcat football will be different in ‘03 Arizona Daily Star February 18, 2003 It would affect recruiting and fan interest, leading to a worst 2003 season, where Mackovic would finally be fired as coach.Fired: Mackovic dismissed as Arizona football coach Tucson Citizen September 29, 2003 References Arizona Category:Arizona Wildcats football seasons Arizona Wildcats football