1996 Arizona Wildcats football team
| 1996 Arizona Wildcats football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conference | Pacific-10 Conference |
| 1996 record | 5–6 (3–5 Pac-10) |
| Head coach | Dick Tomey (10th season) |
| Offensive coordinator | Homer Smith (1st season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Larry Mac Duff (10th season) |
| Home stadium | Arizona Stadium |
| 1996 Pacific-10 football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Arizona State $ | 8 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Washington | 7 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stanford | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| California | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USC | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington State | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon State | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1996 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their tenth season under head coach Dick Tomey, the Wildcats compiled a 5–6 record (3–5 against Pac-10 opponents), finished in a tie for fifth place in the Pac-10, and outscored their opponents, 310 to 280.[1][2]
The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. On November 23, 1996, the team drew a record crowd of 59,920 to Arizona Stadium to watch a 56-14 loss to Arizona State. As of September 2016, this remains the Arizona Stadium attendance record.[3] The Wildcats allowed 450 rushing yards in the loss to the Sun Devils.[4] The highlight of the Arizona State game for the Wildcats was a 98-yard interception return, the second longest in program history, by Mikal Smith.[5]
Team records set during the 1996 season included: three interception returns for touchdown in a game (vs. Illinois); eight touchdowns allowed in a game (vs. California); 16 touchdowns scored in a Pac-10 game (vs. UCLA); 659 yards of total offense allowed in a Pac-10 game (vs. California); and 450 rushing yards allowed in a Pac-10 game (vs. Arizona State).[6]
The team's statistical leaders included Keith Smith with 1,450 passing yards, Gary Taylor with 564 rushing yards, and Jeremy McDaniel with 607 receiving yards.[7] Linebacker Chester Burnett led the team with 124 tackles.[8]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31 | UTEP | W 23–3 | 40,388 | |||
| September 7 | at Iowa | L 20–21 | 68,267 | |||
| September 14 | Illinois |
| W 41–0 | 43,012 | ||
| September 21 | at No. 24 Washington | L 17–31 | 73,414 | |||
| October 5 | Washington State |
| W 34–26 | 47,405 | ||
| October 12 | at USC | L 7–14 | 51,088 | |||
| October 26 | Oregon State |
| W 33–7 | 43,716 | ||
| November 2 | at California | L 55–56(4OT) | 35,000 | |||
| November 9 | at Oregon | L 31–49 | 40,721 | |||
| November 16 | UCLA |
| W 35–17 | 47,171 | ||
| November 23 | Arizona State |
| L 14–56 | 59,920 | ||
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References
- ↑ "1996 Arizona Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Arizona Football 2016 Media Guide" (PDF). University of Arizona. 2016. p. 109. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
- ↑ 2016 Media Guide, p. 97.
- ↑ 2016 Media Guide, p. 89.
- ↑ 2016 Media Guide, p. 86.
- ↑ 2016 Media Guide, pp. 82-84.
- ↑ "1996 Arizona Wildcats Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
- ↑ 2016 Media Guide, p. 86.