Editor’s note: Throughout this fall without Pac-12 football, the Star will revisit Arizona Wildcats games that were significant for one reason or another.
Aug. 30, 2008: Lightning delay, a blowout, and some optimism
What went down: After a fourth consecutive season with a .500 record or worse under Mike Stoops — extending the program’s skid to nine years — Arizona all but guaranteed itself a victory to kick off the 2008 campaign.
As John Moredich noted in the Tucson Citizen, Idaho was ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s “Bottom 10.” In other words, the Vandals were projected to be the worst FBS team in the nation. (There were 119 at the time.)
Star columnist Greg Hansen posited that scoring 50 points would represent a significant achievement for the Wildcats and that even 40 would be enough “to generate buzz and sizzle in Tucson”
Arizona nearly scored 50 … by halftime.
The Wildcats posted a school-record 49 points in the first half en route to a 70-0 wipeout of the overmatched Vandals. Arizona’s 35 points in the second quarter also set a program record.
Quarterback Willie Tuitama completed 17 of 21 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns — all in the first half. Tailback Nic Grigsby rushed for 169 yards and two scores — also in just 30 minutes of work.
Arizona had seven offensive possessions in the first half and scored touchdowns on six of them. The Wildcats also scored on Marquis Hundley’s 87-yard fumble return.
Arizona had a 521-112 advantage in total yards for the game and posted its first shutout since 1996.
Tuitama became the UA’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns (47). He surpassed Tom Tunnicliffe.
A Gronkowski scored a touchdown for the Wildcats, but it wasn’t Rob. H-back Chris Gronkowski scored on a 12-yard pass from Tuitama in the second quarter. Rob did not play, reportedly because of strep throat.
The start of the game was delayed more than an hour because of lightning. It finally began at 8:11 p.m., ending at 11:05.
31 UA Football-p7 dk : University of Arizona’s Mike Thomas (MIKE THOMAS), left, is congratulated by Robert Golden (ROBERT GOLDEN), right, after Thomas nearly ran a punt return back for a touchdown against University of Idaho in the second quarter on August 30, 2008 in Tucson, Ariz. Photo by Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star *NO MAGS/NO SALES/MANDATORY CREDIT* Ref # 140624
From the archives: Hansen captured the spirit of the evening for the Star, whose coverage ran under the headline: “Vandals vanquished.”
Wrote Hansen:
To open the second half Saturday night against Idaho, the UA deployed just 10 men, one player short, although it should not be interpreted as an act of mercy.
After a flawless first half and a 49-0 lead, the Wildcats actually goofed by failing to field a full complement of players for the second-half kickoff.
Until garbage time, it was the only thing Mike Stoops had to grouse about all night.
Typical of the night’s positive flow of events, the man who failed to show for kickoff, freshman cornerback Trevin Wade, intercepted a pass a few minutes later and returned it 62 yards.
Thus, it remains all-systems-go for the Wildcats, who won a momentum-gathering 70-0 rain game that reflected the club’s efficient and productive training camp.
True, Saturday’s game should be kept in proper context; Idaho is, shall we say, size- and skill-challenged and will be fortunate to improve its 1-11 record of 2007.
Who cares?
In Stoops’ first four seasons, the Wildcats endured ulcer-generating training camps and season openers that seemed to dog them through October. This is better.
31 UA Football-p8 dk : University of Arizona’s Joe Perkins (JOE PERKINS), (9), intercepts the pass as Trevin Wade (TREVIN WADE), (24) tackles Eric Greenwood (ERIC GREENWOOD) of the University of Idaho in the third quarter on August 30, 2008 in Tucson, Ariz. Photo by Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star *NO MAGS/NO SALES/MANDATORY CREDIT* Ref # 140624
He said it: Can a contest against lowly Idaho qualify as a “statement game”? When you’re Arizona and haven’t earned a bowl berth in a decade, it can.
“We wanted to come out and let everybody know that we’re for real,” Grigsby said. “We’re not going to back down.”
By the numbers: Arizona’s 70-point margin of victory was the third largest in program history, surpassed only by wins over UTEP (74-0 in 1921) and New Mexico State (73-0 in 1916) that took place well before the modern era.
31 UA Football JD-p1 Valerie Valencia (cq VALERIE VALENCIA /left) gets covered with a towel by David Dillow (cq DAVID DILLOW /RIGHT) Saturday, August 30th, 2008 (cq SATURDAY, AUGUST 30th, 2008 as lighting and rain postpones the UA vs Idaho football game start. Photo Jim Davis/ Arizona Daily Star Digital 141624 No Mags No Sales
The aftermath: The victory over Idaho was, at least in some sense, a sign of things to come.
Arizona wouldn’t put up 70 points again. But the ’08 Wildcats produced the program’s first winning record since 1998. They capped the regular season with a 31-10 victory over Arizona State — ending a three-game losing streak in the Territorial Cup series — and defeated BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Arizona matched that 8-5 record the following season and started the 2010 campaign with seven wins in their first eight games. But that season ended with a five-game losing streak from which Stoops and his program never would recover. They went 1-5 to start 2011, resulting in Stoops’ midseason firing.
The ’08 squad never earned a spot in the national rankings but never lost a game by more than 10 points. The team featured multiple players who would become NFL draft picks: receiver Mike Thomas, offense tackle Eben Britton, defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, tight end Rob Gronkowski, cornerback Trevin Wade and defensive linemen D’Aundre Reed, Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed.
(To put that in perspective, Arizona has had four players picked in the past six drafts.)
As for Idaho, the Vandals would finish 2-10. The following year they went 8-5 and defeated Bowling Green in the Humanitarian Bowl.
In 2018, Idaho left FBS to rejoin the Big Sky Conference, an FCS league.
