There have been some big wins in Arizona football history, but when it comes to ones against the top-ranked teams in the country the examples are scant. But now comes a golden opportunity to change that.
The Wildcats will host a Top 3 team for the first time since 2007 when unbeaten Utah comes to Casino Del Sol Stadium on Nov. 14. Kickoff time and TV info are still TBD.
All-time, Arizona is 5-21 against teams ranked in the top 3 of the Associated Press poll. It hasn’t faced a Top 3 team since 2021
when it lost at No. 3 Oregon during Jedd Fisch’s first season, and the last victory came in 2014 when the UA shocked No. 2 Oregon in Eugene en route to the Pac-12 Conference championship game.
If Utah—currently ranked third—climbs to No. 1 it would mark the first time Arizona has faced the top-ranked team in the country since 2010 (also Oregon) but the first time since 1992. That’s when the Wildcats shocked No. 1 Washington 16-3, one of two wins in program history over the No. 1 team along with a 1981 win at USC.
Regardless of the Utes’ ranking, this will be only the sixth time Arizona takes on a Top-3 team while also ranked. It has only won one of those meetings, the 1992 upset of Washington when it was No. 12 in the AP poll.
Arizona is 2-7 against ranked opponents under Brent Brennan, including losses at BYU and Texas Tech this season. But in Brennan’s first year he led the Wildcats to a win at No. 10 Utah in the program’s first Big 12 Conference game.
