The Arizona-Oregon football series has produced a number of thrilling gems and memorable matchups, especially in Tucson.
The Ducks hold a 28-17 advantage in the all-time series, but havenβt won at Arizona Stadium since 2011. Arizona will try to continue that streak on Saturday, when it hosts the 12th-ranked Ducks at 6 p.m.
Hereβs a look at five memorable games between the Wildcats and Ducks at Arizona Stadium:
Antoine Cason is hoisted into the air by his teammates after his punt return for a touchdown helped spark the Wildcats to an upset of Oregon in 2007.
2007: Arizona takes down No. 2 Oregon
Score: Arizona 34, No. 2 Oregon 24
What went down: Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon went down early with a season-ending knee injury, and the Wildcats capitalized on the Ducksβ vulnerability. Thorpe Award-winning cornerback Antoine Cason returned an interception for a touchdown and also had a 56-yard punt return for a score as Arizona beat Oregon for the programβs first top-five win since 1992.
He said it: βIt means everything to show everybody we are a good team and can play with other good teams. You canβt ask for anything better: Thursday night, ESPN, the No. 2 team in the nation. Wow.β β Arizona linebacker Dane Krogstad
2013: Carey makes history in Arizonaβs upset win
Score: Arizona 42, No. 5 Oregon 16
What went down: Considering Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota hadnβt thrown an interception the entire season and the Ducks were vying for a chance to play for a national championship, Oregon was a heavy favorite on a Saturday afternoon game in the rain. On the first play from scrimmage, Arizona defensive back Shaquille Richardson leapt out of bounds and flipped the ball back into play, where it was intercepted by freshman linebacker Scooby Wright. Arizona running back KaβDeem Carey rushed for 208 yards and scored four touchdowns, passing Art Luppino for career rushing touchdowns. The Wildcats led 28-9 at halftime and never looked back.
He said it: βI have never been blown out like this before in my life.β β Mariota
Darryl Lewis' goal-line stop helped the Wildcats top Oregon in 1990.
1990: Lewis saves the day with goal-line stop
Score: No. 18 Arizona 22, Oregon 17
What went down: The Wildcats flexed their defensive muscles on the goal line with the game on the line. With just over a minute left to play and Oregon trailing the UA 22-17, the Wildcats stopped the Ducks four straight times on the goal line. On fourth-and-inches, Oregon quarterback Bill Musgrave rolled to his right on a play-action pass and tucked the ball to run only to be stopped an inch short of the pylon by UA safety Darryl Lewis, the 1990 co-Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. The 18th-ranked Wildcats moved to 3-0 before falling to Cal the following week.
He said it: βI saw him coming, and I was determined he wouldnβt get in the end zone. Iβve had some great hits, but I know that one will stay in my mind.β β Lewis
Arizona's Yusuf Scott and Oregon's Aaron Cheuvront tussle during the teams' 1998 game.
1998: UA thumps Ducks on Halloween
Score: No. 13 Arizona 38, No. 12 Oregon 3
What went down: In their history at Arizona Stadium, UA and Oregon have met just once when both teams were ranked in the top 15. Oregon entered with a 6-1 record and had one of the most prolific offenses in college football that season, with star quarterback Akili Smith under center. Arizona intercepted Smith twice and sacked him three times. The Wildcats were led by running back Trung Canidate, who finished with 180 yards and a touchdown. The Wildcats scored touchdowns on the first four possessions of the second half to rout the Ducks on Halloween.
He said it: βWe had no turnovers and a great defense. It was the most complete win of the season. A game can get out of hand, but we werenβt expecting anything like this.β β Tomey
Arizona's Nick Foles has his facemask pulled by Oregon's Will Tukuafu during the first overtime of the teams' 2009 game at Arizona Stadium.
2009: Oregon outlasts Arizona in double-overtime
Score: No. 11 Oregon 44, Arizona 41
What went down: The Wildcats surged to national relevancy in 2009 behind quarterback Nick Foles and the UAβs stout defense led by defensive ends Brooks Reed, Ricky Elmore and DβAundre Reed, defensive tackle Earl Mitchell and defensive backs Robert Golden, Cam Nelson, Devin Ross and Trevin Wade. ESPNβs βCollege GameDayβ made its first-ever appearance in Tucson, because the winner of Arizona-Oregon would gain the inside track to the Rose Bowl. Arizona scored 24 straight points to take a 24-14 lead in the fourth quarter, possibly closing in on the programβs first Rose Bowl berth. Students from the Zona Zoo jumped the wall onto Arizonaβs sideline, awaiting their turn to rush the field and celebrate a historic win for the Wildcats. Thatβs when Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli led the Ducks on a 15-play, 3-minute drive to tie the game with 6 seconds remaining. In double-overtime, Masoli rushed in for a 1-yard score to beat the Wildcats. A premature celebration, a field goal that hit the crossbar and bounced in for Oregon, and a double-overtime thriller on national television made for arguably the most memorable game of the series.
He said it: βTheyβve got a very good quarterback, and that is definitely what makes the difference. We just couldnβt stop them in the fourth quarter. We made some very good plays and took control in the third, but itβs very hard to explain how to control an offense like theirs.β β Arizona coach Mike Stoops
