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All week leading up to Saturday — when Arizona plays New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque — AllSportsTucson.com will continue to run an Arizona All-Bowl team comprised of players at each position that performed the best in the postseason. We’re honoring wide receivers and special teams players. Next will be the defensive linemen.
ARIZONA ALL-BOWL TEAM
Wide Receiver
First Team — Troy Dickey, 1992 John Hancock Bowl & 1994 Fiesta Bowl
How ironic that three offensive players — Dickey, running back Chuck Levy and guard Warner Smith — are members of Arizona’s All-Bowl team in the same era as the Desert Swarm defense. Dickey belongs on this team with his productive games in the 1992 John Hancock Bowl against Baylor (9 receptions for 108 yards) and 1994 Fiesta Bowl (four receptions for 62 yards and two touchdowns). “I didn’t expect such a big point difference,” Arizona quarterback Dan White was quoted as saying after the Wildcats’ 29-0 win over Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. “I think it just proves the point that we’ve got a great team on offense and defense.”
First Team — Nate Phillips, 2013 AdvoCare V100 Bowl
Nate Phillips
Phillips caught nine passes for an Arizona bowl-record 193 yards against Boston College in the 42-19 victory two years ago. He also set the record for most receiving yards in a game by a freshman in school history. Phillips’ 57-yard reception in the first quarter matched his career long, previously set at USC on Oct. 10, 2013.
SECOND TEAM:
Terrell Turner vs. BYU in the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl. He had four receptions for 111 yards, including a 71-yard reception from Willie Tuitama that he took to the BYU 1 yard line.
Austin Hill vs. Nevada in the 2013 New Mexico Bowl. Hill had eight receptions for what was then a school bowl-record 175 yards. One of his catches was a 63-yard touchdown pass from Matt Scott.
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Site founder and award-winning sports journalist Javier Morales has published his first e-book, “The Highest Form of Living”, a fiction piece about a young man who overcomes a troubled upbringing without his lost father and wayward mother through basketball and hope. His hope is realized through the sport he loves. Basketball enables him to get past his fears. His experience on the court indirectly brings him closer to his parents in a unique, heartfelt way. Please order it at Amazon (for only $4.99) by clicking on the photo:
Troy Dickey hauls in his second touchdown reception against Miami in the 1994 Fiesta Bowl
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HONORABLE MENTION: Brad Brennan vs. Nebraska in the 1998 Holiday Bowl (two receptions for 78 yards with a 15-yard touchdown and 63-yard reception). Delashaun Dean vs. BYU in the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl (seven catches for 88 yards and a 37-yard touchdown). Juron Criner vs. Oklahoma State in the 2010 Alamo Bowl (nine catches for 47 yards and a touchdown). Cayleb Jones vs. Boise State in 2014 Fiesta Bowl (eight receptions for 117 yards).
Placekicker
First Team — Steve McLaughlin, 1992 John Hancock Bowl, 1994 Fiesta Bowl and 1994 Freedom Bowl
Steve McLaughlin made an Arizona-record 23 field goals in 1994 including two in the Freedom Bowl
McLaughlin tallied seven field goals in the three bowl games. He made two field goals against Baylor in the John Hancock Bowl (now the Sun Bowl again), three against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl and two more against Utah in the Freedom Bowl (including a 44-yarder).
SECOND TEAM: Mark McDonald vs. Nebraska in the 1998 Holiday Bowl. Put Arizona ahead 9-0 with three field goals in the first half, including a career-best 48 yarder in the second quarter.
HONORABLE MENTION: Max Zendejas vs. Georgia in the 1985 Sun Bowl (made an Arizona bowl-record 52-yarder and was named one of the game’s outstanding players despite missing a 39-yarder with 10 seconds left that kept the game tied at 13). Kickoff specialist Jeff Valder vs. North Carolina in the 1986 Aloha Bowl (tied Zendejas’ mark of 52 yards, setting an Aloha Bowl record).
Punter
First Team — John Nies, 1990 Copper Bowl
Holds the Arizona bowl-record averaging 41.9 yards in 10 punts in the 17-10 victory over North Carolina State..
Returner
First Team — Chris McAlister, 1998 Holiday Bowl
Giving McAlister his due because his 72-yard reverse punt return for a touchdown was called back against Nebraska on a controversial blocking call against David Hall. Arizona still has yet to return a punt or kickoff for a touchdown in a bowl game although Charlie Hall returned a kickoff 73 yards against Drake in the 1949 Salad Bowl in Phoenix.
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