Arizona is playing its first football game in the state of Iowa since the Wildcats fell to the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2009, before Nick Foles took over as starter and launched his UA career — and ultimately his NFL career, highlighted by a Super Bowl MVP.
The Wildcats are playing Iowa State for the first time since 1968, which was also the last time the Wildcats trekked to Ames, Iowa. Arizona took down the Cyclones 21-12 at Clyde Williams Field in front of just under 21,000 fans to kick off the ’68 season. Saturday's sold-out — and "white out" — game at Jack Trice Stadium will have more than 61,000 in attendance.
Iowa State takes on Iowa in front of a sellout crowd of 61,500 at Jack Trice Stadium on, Sept. 11, 2021, in Ames, Iowa.
Arizona's win over Iowa State was one of eight wins for the UA, which played in the WAC, in 1968. Before the regular-season finale against rival Arizona State in '68, Arizona second-year head coach Darrell Mudra contacted the Sun Bowl committee in El Paso and demanded an automatic invite regardless of the outcome against ASU. If the Wildcats didn't receive an invitation before the ASU game, Mudra threatened to not play in the Sun Bowl. The Territorial Cup matchup was known as "The Ultimatum Bowl."
Even though ASU hammered the Wildcats 30-7, the Sun Devils were excluded from the postseason due to unavailable bowl games. Arizona ended its 20-year bowl drought and was routed 34-10 by Auburn.
Before Arizona's season-opening win over Iowa State, the Wildcats won the previous game over the Cyclones in 1966, when the Cyclones were a part of the Big Eight Conference. Arizona is 4-1-1 all-time against Iowa State. The Wildcats lost to Iowa State in Tucson during the 1958 season, when Arizona was in the Border Conference.
Now that Arizona has newer conference foes, the Wildcats will be at several venues for the first time in a long time — or the first time ever, like the game at Cincinnati on Nov. 15. Next season, Arizona will be playing at West Virginia for the first time ever. In 2027, Arizona will face Baylor in Waco for the first time. In the same season, the Wildcats also face Kansas in Lawrence for the first time since 1965.
