In the 50 days leading up to Arizona’s season-opener against Toledo, on Sept. 1 at Arizona Stadium, TucsonCitizen.com and its affiliate WildAboutAZCats.net will rank the Top 50 games in the history of the football program. The ranking is at No. 49 as the kickoff to the Wildcats’ season — and the start of the Rich Rodriguez era — is only 49 days away.
SCORE: Arizona Varsity 12, Territorial Normal 0
DATE: Nov. 22, 1902
SITE: Tucson — Arizona’s Old Library, located northeast of the UA main gate at Park Avenue, close to where the Arizona State Museum North Building now stands.
WHY IT MADE THE LIST: It was the first win over arch-rival Arizona State (then known as the Territorial Normal Owls) and was part of a 5-0 season under player-coach Leslie Gillett, who coached the team only that season. Gillett was the captain of the team the previous season. The Varsity — as Arizona was known until 1914 — shut out every team it played in 1902, outscoring Tucson Indian School (played twice), Fort Grant, Territorial Normal and Fort Huachuca 134-0. The 12-0 victory was the first of nine straight wins for Arizona over the school from Tempe. The UA shut them out the first four games of this streak and eight of the nine overall. Arizona outscored its rivals 231-3 in this stretch that spanned from 1902-1930. The captain of the team was Bard L. Cosgrove, who lettered three years at Arizona from 1901-03. Click on this link for a photo of the 1902 team posing in front of Old Main.
The countdown:
No. 50 — Arizona’s first win in program’s history: 22-5 over Tucson Indians (TucsonCitizen.com)
