What bowl games could Arizona play in? Here are the latest projections

Regardless of how Arizona’s next three games go for the Wildcats, they don’t have to worry about not playing a 13th game.

Arizona fought and clawed its way to bowl eligibility with a 24-20 win over the Kansas Jayhawks in Tucson. The Wildcats will participate in the postseason for the first time under second-year head coach Brent Brennan.

“We’re going to enjoy every part of this,” Brennan said. “The excitement in that locker room, the joy coming off the field, the joy on the field at the end of the game during the last moment and (the clock) hit zeros and everyone got to experience that, it was magic. Absolute magic.”

With games against 22nd-ranked Cincinnati, a home finale against Baylor and the Territorial Cup in Tempe on the horizon, Arizona has three chances to polish its bowl résumé.

“This is a stepping stone,” Brennan said of Arizona’s sixth win. “Yay, we got to six (wins). That’s not good enough for me, that’s not good enough for these kids. We want to keep playing good football. How can we continue to improve, continue to find ways to elevate Arizona football? That’s what we’re doing. ... One of the things I’m excited about is that we’re playing meaningful games in November.

“At the University of Arizona, we’re playing meaningful games in November. However we get it done, it doesn’t matter. Would I like for it to be prettier? Sure. ... But at the end of the day, when we came out here today, the goal was to win. That’s what we did and we’re excited about that.”

Getting to the postseason for the third time in the last nine seasons is a meaningful feat for the UA, because the players have “worked very hard since January to accomplish this. But this isn’t where we stop. We’re going to keep going and win out the rest of the season,” said linebacker Taye Brown.

For what it’s worth, representatives from the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl and Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl were credentialed for Arizona’s win over Kansas. Arizona played in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 2013, which was All-American running back Ka’Deem Carey’s last game as a Wildcat, when Arizona routed Boston College.

Even though the Independence Bowl has its eyes on the Wildcats, not too many college football outlets are predicting Arizona to spend the holidays in the bayou. Here are some of the latest bowl projections for the Wildcats.

Important note: Arizona could still play in a bowl game as a Pac-12 affiliate despite being in the Big 12. That will stop after this season.

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (Athlon/CBS/Sports Illustrated)

When: Wednesday, Dec. 31, at noon on CBS

Where: Sun Bowl, El Paso

Opponent: SMU

Comment: All of the affiliates that project Arizona in the Sun Bowl all have the Wildcats facing the “Pony Express.” Even though SMU would be playing in Texas, it’s a closer commute from Tucson to El Paso. It’s about a four- or five-hour drive from Tucson to El Paso — 10 hours from Dallas to El Paso.

Arizona has played in the Sun Bowl three times and has never won El Paso’s bowl game. The Wildcats lost to Auburn in 1968 and then tied Georgia in 1985 before losing again to Baylor in 1992. The winning coach of the current rendition of the Sun Bowl gets doused in Frosted Flakes cereal.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (ESPN)

When: Friday, Jan. 2 at 11 a.m. on ESPN

Where: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas

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Opponent: Army

Comment: The Armed Forces Bowl is affiliated with the Big 12, Big Ten, AAC, Mountain West and the service academy programs (Army, Navy and Air Force). The last time Arizona played at the site of the Armed Forces Bowl, former Wildcat Tetairoa McMillan became the program’s all-time receiving yards leader, passing UA wide receivers coach Bobby Wade, in Arizona’s loss to TCU.

The last time Arizona played a bowl game in Texas, the Wildcats rallied to beat the Oklahoma Sooners in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. The last time Arizona faced a service academy was against Air Force in 1974. The Wildcats have never faced Army or Navy.

LA Bowl (ESPN/The Athletic)

When: Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. on ESPN

Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Opponent: San Diego State

Comment: The Pac-12-versus-Mountain West bowl game first started as the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl, named after the popular ABC star and television host. In 2023, former Wildcat Rob Gronkowski took over as the presenting sponsor.

In September, “Bucked Up,” a sports nutrition brand, became the title sponsor in partnership with Gronkowski, who helped lead the Wildcats to the Las Vegas Bowl in 2008. The official title of the LA Bowl is Bucked Up LA Bowl hosted by Gronk.

Arizona could have a rematch with San Diego State, which split a home-and-home series with the Wildcats in 2021 and ‘22, at the home of the Los Angeles Rams and L.A. Chargers. Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales and linebackers coach Josh Bringuel, who played for Gonzales at SDSU, would be coaching against their former team.

Schools affiliated with the Pac-12 are 1-3 in the LA Bowl.

Arizona honors victims of pedestrian crashes

Arizona honored the four victims of the most recent pedestrian crashes near the UA campus with the victims’ initials on a helmet decal.

Arizona put the initials of UA students Katya Castillo Mendoza, Josiah Santos, Sophia Troetel and Peter Wanjohi on a black helmet decal.

Mendoza, Troetl and Santos were hit and killed by an impaired driver on Oct. 30 near Euclid Avenue and Second Street. The 19-year-old Wanjohi attempted to cross Kino Parkway near 15th Street, where he was hit by a car and died at the hospital two days later.

A celebration of life was held for the four victims at Bear Down Field on the north side of Arizona Stadium. The UA held a moment of silence for Mendoza, Troetl, Santos and Wanjohi during halftime of Arizona’s win over Kansas.

Extra points

• Arizona received seven votes in the Week 12 AFCA Coaches Poll, but didn’t receive any votes in the AP Top 25. The Wildcats haven’t been ranked since they were No. 20 in the final week of nonconference play last season, before they were thumped by Kansas State in Manhattan.
• ESPN’s latest bowl projections have Miami (Ohio) returning to Tucson to face Fresno State in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop. The Redhawks, representing the MAC, beat Colorado State in the Arizona Bowl. ESPN’s second projection for the Arizona Bowl predicts Toledo against Fresno State. FSU’s leading rusher is former UA running back Rayshon “Speedy” Luke, who played in the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL).

Photos: Arizona squeaks by Kansas 24-20, Big 12 football