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CATCH UP ON THE COUNTDOWN BY VISITING: ARIZONA’S TOP 100 INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Only 50 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.
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Art Luppino — The “Cactus Comet” — set the Arizona scoring standard in 1954, scoring a school-record 24 touchdowns, a feat that was not matched until Ka’Deem Carey scored that many times in 2012.
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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. 50
Most Touchdowns Scored From Scrimmage, Season: 24, Art Luppino, 1954 (10 games); Ka’Deem Carey, 2012 (13 games)
Pac-12 record: 29, Howie Williams, Stanford, 1969 (10 games)
NCAA record: 39, Barry Sanders, Oklahoma St., 1988 (11 games); Montee Ball,
Wisconsin, 2011 (14 games)
Ka’Deem Carey was in familiar territory when it came to the end zone in the 2012 season, tying Art Luppino’s school-record 24 touchdowns from scrimmage.
A UPI story published Oct. 7, 1954, stated about “The Cactus Comet” Art Luppino: “For University of Arizona halfback Art Luppino the 1954 football season seems like a touchdown paradise, where blockers bloom in profusion on the gridiron and opposing tacklers are easily out-maneuvered.”
Luppino scored 21 of his touchdowns in 1954 via the run. One was on a punt return. Two were a result of kickoff returns, a feat that is an Arizona record itself. Ricky Stevenson also had two in 1968.
Luppino’s record of 24 touchdowns scored in a season went untouched until Ka’Deem Carey matched that mark in 2012 with 23 on scoring runs and one on a reception. Carey’s mark of 24 touchdowns from scrimmage in a season is fifth-best in Pac-12 history behind Stanford running backs Howie Williams (29 in 1969) and Toby Gerhart (28 in 2009), USC tailback Lendale White (26 in 2005) and UCLA running back Skip Hicks (26 in 1997).
Other records set by Carey at Arizona listed before in this countdown:
59. Most Touchdowns, Game: 5, Art Luppino, vs. New Mexico State, Sept. 18, 1954 (four by rushing and one by kickoff return); Ka’Deem Carey, vs. Colorado, 2012 (all five by rushing)
60. All-Purpose Yards Gained, Career: 5,483, 2011-13
73. All-Purpose Yards Gained, Game: 400, vs. Colorado, Nov. 10, 2012
80. Most Rushing Attempts, Game: 48, vs. Oregon, Nov. 23, 2013
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.
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