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CATCH UP ON THE COUNTDOWN BY VISITING: ARIZONA’S TOP 100 INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Only 83 days separate us from the start of Rich Rodriguez’s fifth season at Arizona, when the Wildcats play 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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Cayleb Jones is the latest of eight Arizona receivers who have caught a record three touchdown passes in a game.
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In past years, we have counted down the top games and highlighted players and some of the top plays in Wildcat 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. 83
Touchdown Passes Caught
Game: 3
Cayleb Jones, vs. California, 2014 (of 13 receptions)
Juron Criner, vs. Oregon 2009 (of 5); UCLA 2011 (of 10)
Mike Thomas, at Washington, 2007 (of 10)
Bobby Wade, at California, 2001 (of 6)
Scott Piper vs. Northwestern, 1975 (of 4)
Charlie McKee vs. Wyoming, 1970 (of 3)
Joe Hernandez vs. New Mexico, 1961 (of 4)
Bill Glazier vs. New Mexico, 1949 (of 6)
NCAA record: 7, Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State vs. SMU, 2003 (12 receptions)
Juron Criner caught three touchdown passes on two different occasions, the only Arizona receiver to achieve that feat.
Nine times in Arizona history a receiver has caught a school-record three touchdowns in a game. Juron Criner is the only receiver who did it twice: Against Oregon in 2009 and UCLA in 2010.
The records span 65 years from Bill Glazier catching three touchdown passes against New Mexico in 1949 to Cayleb Jones hauling in three scores against California in 2014.
Charlie McKee is the only one of the group whose three catches were all touchdowns, against Wyoming in 1970. Making McKee’s accomplishment more impressive: He had only 21 receptions in nine games after that game against the Cowboys and eight of those catches were touchdowns. The Tucson Citizen labeled him the “Money Player.”
The longest gap was 26 years from when Scott Piper caught three touchdown passes in 1975 against Northwestern until Bobby Wade achieved that much against California in 2001.
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.
