The 2008 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Mike Stoops, in his fifth year at Arizona. The Wildcats played their home games at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona and compete in the Pacific-10 Conference. Arizona finished the 2008 regular season with a record of 7–5, and faced BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 20, their first postseason appearance since 1998; they defeated the Cougars 31–21 for a final record of 8–5. In that game, the Wildcats' 31 points were the most put up by the team in any of their bowl appearances. Senior wide receiver Mike Thomas, playing in his final game as a Wildcat, also got the Pac-10 record of most receptions by any wide receiver in the Pac-10. Senior Quarterback Willie Tuitama was named MVP for the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl, by throwing 328 yards, 2 pass TD's and 1 rush TD.
Schedule
Schedule source: 2008 Arizona Wildcats football schedule
Game summaries vs Idaho
Statistics IDA ARIZ First downs 727 Total yards 112521 Rushing yards 25–6449–265 Passing yards 48265 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 10–27–423–31–0 Time of possession 23:5536:05 Team Category Player StatisticsIdaho Passing Nathan Enderle10/25, 48 yards, 3 INT Rushing Deonte Jackson10 carries, 25 yards Receiving Eddie Williams3 receptions, 18 yardsArizona Passing Willie Tuitama17/21, 179 yards, 3 TD Rushing Nic Grigsby19 carries, 169 yards, 2 TD Receiving Delashaun Dean5 receptions, 77 yards
In the 2008 season opener, Arizona would dominate in this 70–0 shutout over the visiting Vandals of Idaho. For the game, the Wildcats would outgain the Vandals in total offense 521 to 112 yards. The game also marked the most points scored in a game by Arizona since a 74-0 victory in 1921 over the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy in addition to its first shutout since the 1996 season.
vs Toledo
Statistics TOL ARIZ First downs 1228 Total yards 244452 Rushing yards 24–7433–153 Passing yards 170299 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 21–31–026–34–0 Time of possession 27:0332:57 Team Category Player StatisticsToledo Passing Aaron Opelt21/31, 170 yards, TD Rushing DaJuane Collins10 carries, 54 yards Receiving Stephen Williams12 receptions, 67 yards, TDArizona Passing Willie Tuitama25/33, 292 yards, 2 TD Rushing Nic Grigsby20 carries, 135 yards, 3 TD Receiving Mike Thomas9 receptions, 138 yards, TD
at New Mexico
Statistics ARIZUNM First downs 21 18 Total yards 388 335 Rushing yards 24–67 47–221 Passing yards 321 114 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 27–50–2 14–18–1 Time of possession 26:42 33:18 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Willie Tuitama 27/50, 321 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Rushing Nic Grigsby 18 carries, 72 yards, TD Receiving Mike Thomas 12 receptions, 136 yards, TDNew Mexico Passing Donovan Porterie 13/17, 89 yards, INT Rushing Rodney Ferguson 26 carries, 158 yards, 2 TD Receiving Chris Hernandez 4 receptions, 39 yards
at UCLA
Statistics ARIZUCLA First downs 15 11 Total yards 388 335 Rushing yards 35–111 28–115 Passing yards 222 81 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 16–29–0 15–31–0 Time of possession 29:08 30:52 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Willie Tuitama 16/29, 222 yards, 2 TD Rushing Nic Grigsby 20 carries, 59 yards, TD Receiving Mike Thomas 4 receptions, 115 yardsUCLA Passing Kevin Craft 15/31, 81 yards Rushing Chane Moline 11 carries, 72 yards Receiving Terrence Austin 5 receptions, 36 yards
vs Washington
Statistics WASH ARIZ First downs 1228 Total yards 244452 Rushing yards 28–6351–256 Passing yards 181193 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 12–28–117–21–0 Time of possession 23:4836:07 Team Category Player StatisticsWashington Passing Ronnie Fouch12/28, 181 yards, TD, INT Rushing Brandon Jonhson13 carries, 35 yards Receiving Jermaine Kearse1 reception, 62 yardsArizona Passing Willie Tuitama25/33, 292 yards, 2 TD Rushing Nic Grigsby14 carries, 113 yards, TD Receiving Rob Gronkowski5 receptions, 109 yards, 3 TD
at Stanford
Statistics ARIZSTAN First downs 16 21 Total yards 336 438 Rushing yards 23–77 48–286 Passing yards 259 152 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 22–34–0 16–24–2 Time of possession 25:25 34:35 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Willie Tuitama 22/34, 259 yards Rushing Nic Grigsby 15 carries, 66 yards, TD Receiving Terrell Turner 10 receptions, 175 yardsStanford Passing Tavita Pritchard 13/17, 113 yards, TD, INT Rushing Toby Gerhart 24 carries, 116 yards, TD Receiving Ryan Whalen 5 receptions, 62 yards
vs No. 25 California
Statistics CAL ARIZ First downs 1817 Total yards 425404 Rushing yards 23–11041–179 Passing yards 315225 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 25–56–216–27–1 Time of possession 29:0229:32 Team Category Player StatisticsCalifornia Passing Nate Longshore18/37, 218 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Jahvid Best16 carries, 107 yards, TD Receiving Verran Tucker4 receptions, 68 yards, TDArizona Passing Willie Tuitama16/27, 225 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Keola Antolin21 carries, 149 yards, 3 TD Receiving Mike Thomas6 receptions, 104 yards, TD
vs No. 4 USC
Statistics USC ARIZ First downs 1913 Total yards 367188 Rushing yards 41–15130–100 Passing yards 21688 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 21–36–114–31–1 Time of possession 33:3426:26 Team Category Player StatisticsUSC Passing Mark Sanchez21/36, 216 yards, TD, INT Rushing Stafon Johnson19 carries, 83 yards, TD Receiving Damian Williams5 receptions, 77 yardsArizona Passing Willie Tuitama14/30, 88 yards, INT Rushing Nic Grigsby14 carries, 69 yards, TD Receiving Mike Thomas6 receptions, 45 yards
at Washington State
Statistics ARIZWSU First downs 28 12 Total yards 531 208 Rushing yards 57–317 29–94 Passing yards 214 114 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 11–15–1 10–20–3 Time of possession 37:27 22:33 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Willie Tuitama 11/15, 214 yards, TD, INT Rushing Nic Grigsby 28 carries, 197 yards, TD Receiving Rob Gronkowski 4 receptions, 83 yards, TDWashington State Passing Kevin Lopina 8/15, 94 yards, 2 INT Rushing Logwone Mitz 11 carries, 57 yards, TD Receiving Ben Woodard 2 receptions, 49 yards
Washington State scored first – taking its first lead of the season in a Pac-10 game – when Dwight Tardy took a pitch from QB Kevin Lopina and ran 18 yards with 10:10 left in the first. Arizona replied with a 12-play drive and WR Mike Thomas ran 5 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. Arizona TE Rob Gronkowski caught a short pass from QB Willie Tuitama and ran 43 yards for a touchdown to put Arizona up 14–7 at the end of the first quarter. After getting the ball on their own 46 to start the next drive, WSU's Logwone Mitz tore off runs of 8 and 42 yards to take the ball to Arizona's 4. Lopina ran it in to tie the score at 14. Arizona replied with an 81-yard drive with RB Keola Antolin running 5 yards up the middle for a 21–14 lead with 10:20 left in the half. The WSU offense stalled the rest of the half. Meanwhile, Tuitama ran in from the 4 on a broken play for a 28–14 Arizona advantage. Arizona's Devin Ross intercepted Lopina on the next series, and RB Nic Grigsby ran it three times, the last for a 6-yard touchdown and a 35–14 halftime lead. Wildcat RB Xavier Smith scored on a 6-yard run on the opening drive of the second half for a 42–14 lead. Mitz scored from 3 yards out on the next series to bring WSU to within 42–21. Arizona would go on to beat Washington State by a final score of 59–28 for win number 6, making the Wildcats eligible for their first bowl game since 1998.Arizona at Washington State
at Oregon
Statistics ARIZORE First downs 30 18 Total yards 527 504 Rushing yards 52–199 30–206 Passing yards 328 298 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 29–46–2 21–27–0 Time of possession 41:46 18:14 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Willie Tuitama 29/45, 328 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Keola Antolin 20 carries, 87 yards, 4 TD Receiving Rob Gronkowski 12 receptions, 143 yards, TDOregon Passing Jeremiah Masoli 21/26, 298 yards, 2 TD Rushing Jeremiah Masoli 10 carries, 89 yards, 3 TD Receiving Terence Scott 6 receptions, 87 yards, TD
The Oregon Ducks started hot against the Arizona Wildcats in Eugene, with Jeremiah Masoli getting a career-high in rushing touchdowns (3) and broke the record for an Oregon quarterback in this category in a single Ducks game. He also had two passing touchdowns, all five in the first half. Oregon led at the half, 45–17, but Arizona started the second half hot. The Wildcats managed to hold the Ducks to merely ten points in the second half, while they had a 21-point fourth quarter to pull within three. However, a 40-yard touchdown hit from Masoli to LeGarrette Blounte sealed the Ducks win, 55–45, to avenge a loss to the Wildcats from last year. This game was the first in which the Ducks wore their new "blackout" jerseys and black helmets, to fit with the Autzen Stadium "blackout" theme for the game.
vs No. 21 Oregon State
Statistics OSU ARIZ First downs 1719 Total yards 390297 Rushing yards 33–16641–139 Passing yards 224158 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 20–32–016–22–0 Time of possession 27:1732:43 Team Category Player StatisticsOregon State Passing Sean Canfield20/32, 224 yards, TD Rushing James Rodgers10 carries, 102 yards, TD Receiving Sammie Stroughter5 receptions, 116 yards, TDArizona Passing Willie Tuitama16/22, 158 yards, TD Rushing Keola Antolin25 carries, 114 yards, TD Receiving Mike Thomas6 receptions, 50 yards
Before an enthusiastic crowd of 48,503 at Arizona Stadium, Oregon State had to go without starting quarterback Lyle Moevao, sidelined by a shoulder injury. Then they lost tailback Jacquizz Rodgers, the Pac-10's leading rusher and Pac-10 Player of the Year candidate, to a shoulder injury on their second possession. With the score tied at 10–10 early in the fourth quarter (on a 16-yard touchdown pass to Arizona TE Rob Gronkowski with 16 seconds left in the third quarter), Oregon State head coach Mike Riley went for it twice on fourth down near midfield. The first one worked and the second did not, and it proved costly. After backup tailback Ryan McCants lost a yard on fourth-and-1 at Arizona's 49, the Wildcats went on an eight-play march capped by a 9-yard touchdown run by RB Keola Antolin to give Arizona a 17–10 lead. Oregon State responded with a 10-play, 80-yard drive for a touchdown. Then, Beavers kicker Justin Kahut missed the extra point with 3:58 left, seemingly giving Arizona the chance for the win. Arizona's offense stalled, and while the Wildcats led 17–16 with 1:19 to play, Oregon State took over at their own 20 with no timeouts left. Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield, who started in place of Moevao, hit Jeremy Francis for a 20-yard catch to the 40. A seven-yard run by receiver James Rodgers went to the 47. On the third play of the drive, Canfield found Sammie Stroughter alone behind the Wildcats secondary for a 47-yard gain to the Arizona 7. Then, Kahut calmly nailed a 24-yard field goal as time expired to seal an improbable 19–17 victory, redeeming himself and leaving the Beavers one win away from their first Rose Bowl trip since 1965. Keola Antolin rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown for Arizona, while Arizona QB Willie Tuitama threw for 158 yards and a score.
vs Arizona State
Statistics ASU ARIZ First downs 1225 Total yards 162389 Rushing yards 23–3840–105 Passing yards 124284 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 13–31–125–37–1 Time of possession 23:1036:50 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona State Passing Rudy Carpenter13/31, 124 yards, TD, INT Rushing Keegan Herring14 carries, 31 yards Receiving Kyle Williams5 receptions, 116 yardsArizona Passing Willie Tuitama25/37, 284 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Nic Grigsby22 carries, 114 yards, TD Receiving Rob Gronkowski6 receptions, 95 yards, TD
The Wildcats were not just playing for in-state bragging rights this year in their 82nd meeting for the Territorial Cup. The Las Vegas Bowl announced on December 5 that the winner of this game would be extended an invitation to appear.