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CATCH UP ON THE COUNTDOWN BY VISITING: ARIZONA’S TOP 100 INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Only 36 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.
Jeremy McDaniel
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.
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:
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Jeremy McDaniel ranks fifth in the Pac-12 with his 283 yards receiving at Cal in a four-overtime game in 1996.
ARIZONA RECEIVING YARDS LEADERS
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No. 36
Most Receiving Yards, Game: 283, Jeremy McDaniel vs. California, Nov. 2 1996 (14 receptions)
Pac-12 record: 345, Marqise Lee, USC, vs. Arizona, Oct. 26, 2012 (16 receptions)
NCAA record: 405, Troy Edwards, Louisiana Tech vs. Nebraska, Aug. 29, 1998 (21 receptions)
At the time, Jeremy McDaniel’s 283 yards receiving at Cal in 1996 was only six yards shy of the Pac-12 record, held by Wesley Walker of Cal against San Jose State in 1976. Only three players in the conference have posted more yards in a game since McDaniel’s performance 20 years ago.
Entering the epic battle between Arizona and Cal on Nov. 2, 1996, Jeremy McDaniel had a total of 119 yards receiving in his previous seven games with the Wildcats.
McDaniel more than doubled that in the four-overtime 56-55 loss against the the Golden Bears with school records both in yards (283) and receptions (14). The Wildcats fell short after Dick Tomey opted to go for the win, attempting a fake extra-point attempt that was foiled by the Bears.
McDaniel finished that season with 607 yards in 31 receptions. Subtract his performance against Cal and he had 324 yards on 17 receptions in the 10 other games. That information is secondary because McDaniel’s name is still atop the Arizona record book and among the Pac-12 leaders for that one performance with his connection with quarterback Keith Smith.
That is a game McDaniel talk about with his grandchildren.
McDaniel lives in his native New Bern, N.C., which is close to Greensboro. He has served as an assistant coach at Northeast Guilford High School there. In 2014, he was named interim head coach for two games at Northeast Guilford at the end of the season.
Other Arizona records associated with its four-overtime classic with Cal in 1996 that are listed in this countdown:
No. 47: Most TDs Responsible For (TDs scored and passed for), Game: 7, Keith Smith (five passing and two rushing)
No. 49: Most Passes Caught, Game: 14, McDaniel
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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