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CATCH UP ON THE COUNTDOWN BY VISITING: ARIZONA’S TOP 100 INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Only 52 days separate us from the start of Rich Rodriguez’s fifth season, when the Arizona Wildcats football team plays Brigham Young on Sept. 3 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
As is customary on this Web site, we will count down the days with an interesting element associated with each day. This year the topic is the top 100 individual records in Arizona’s storied football past.
Compiling the list was no easy task, but it was feasible to do with the information provided in the record books by the Arizona media relations department, and we appreciate that.
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Twice in his first two seasons as Arizona’s quarterback Anu Solomon has gone through stretches of at least 182 passes without an interception.
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In past years, we have counted down the top games and highlighted players and some of the top plays in Arizona Wildcats football history. A couple of years ago in our top 100 countdown, we showcased the 1914 team that was responsible for Arizona becoming the “Wildcats”.
Back to this year’s countdown of the top 100 individual records in the 117 years of Arizona football:
No. 52
Most Passes Without An Interception, Consecutive: 232, Anu Solomon, 2014-15 (Nine games from Boise State, Dec. 31, 2014, to Washington, Oct. 31, 2015)
NCAA record: 444, Colby Cameron, Louisiana Tech, 2011-12 (12 games from TCU, Dec. 21, 2011, to Utah State, Nov. 17, 2012)
It was against Boise State in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl that Anu Solomon’s school-record 232 consecutive passes without an interception started.
Anu Solomon’s fourth entry in this 100-day ranking again exemplifies his ability to avoid mistakes throwing the ball. The Arizona junior broke Nick Foles‘ short-lived record of most consecutive passes without an interception in a 10-game stretch that started against Boise State in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl and ended at Washington on Halloween Night last season.
Solomon reached 232 consecutive passes without an interception, topping the 208-pass stretch accomplished by Foles between 2010 and 2011.
Solomon’s record stretch of attempts without an interception:
2014
Boise State: 22
2015
Texas-San Antonio: 36
Nevada: 34
Northern Arizona: 35
UCLA: 10
Oregon State: 30
Colorado: 37
Washington State: 20
Washington: 8 (Intercepted by Sidney Jones, 8:07 left in first quarter)
Remarkably, Solomon earlier in the 2014 season had a four-game stretch of 182 consecutive passes without an interception, a feat that ranks third in Arizona annals behind Foles’ 208 mark. Included in that four-game stretch for Solomon was his school-record 72 attempts without an interception in a game, against USC.
Solomon ended last season throwing five interceptions in his last four games after going without one in his first eight. He is on a modest stretch of 16 passes without an interception heading into the 2016 season after throwing the ball away in the first quarter against New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl to conclude last season.
MOST CONSECUTIVE PASSES WITHOUT INTERCEPTION
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Other Arizona records achieved by Solomon previously listed in this countdown ranking:
61. Most Passing Yards by Freshman: 3,793, 2014
65. Most Attempts Without Interceptions, Game: 72, vs. USC, 2014
85. Total Offense, Most Yards Gained: 566, vs. Cal, Sept. 20, 2014 (520 yards passing/46 rushing)
ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon.
