Seen and heard in and around Arizona Stadium before UA’s matchup vs. the Kansas State Wildcats on Friday night:
Flowers rewinds the clock
The latest former Arizona football standout to serve as honorary captain this season is Marquis Flowers.
Flowers stood beside Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes, former Kansas State receiver Tre Spivey, right tackle Rhino Tapa’atoutai and wide receiver Chris Hunter during the pregame coin toss Friday night.
Flowers and Stukes both graduated from Millennium High School in Goodyear — and both wore No. 2 as a jersey number at the UA.
Flowers, a Mike Stoops- and Rich Rodriguez-era defensive back and linebacker, called Friday night “an honor.”
Arizona head coach Brent Brennan, left, and former Wildcat and honorary captain Marquis Flowers signal the crowd lined up for the “Wildcat Walk” before the game against Kansas State on Sept. 12, 2025, at Arizona Stadium.
“It’s humbling,” he said. “I guess I’m old because I didn’t realize how long it has been. I’m excited to be back in that atmosphere.”
Flowers played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and signed with Arizona over Notre Dame, USC and Arizona State, among others.
As a four-year player at Arizona, Flowers had 273 tackles, five interceptions, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Flowers had two interceptions in a shootout win over USC in 2012 and a game-sealing pick against Nevada in the New Mexico Bowl in 2012 — the first part of the UA’s memorable sports day, which was capped by Mark Lyons’ game-winning shot to lift the Arizona men’s basketball team to a thrilling win over fifth-ranked Florida.
University of Arizona linebacker Marquis Flowers (2) gets hugged after his interception return for a touchdown against Utah in the second quarter of their Pac-12 game at Arizona Stadium, Oct. 19, 2013.
Flowers was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the NFL Draft and played five seasons in the NFL. After three seasons in Cincinnati, Flowers played for the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins. As a member of the Patriots in 2017, he played against former UA teammate and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, who quarterbacked the Philadelphia Eagles to their second Super Bowl, which Flowers called “a surreal moment.”
“I was happy for him, gave him a hug after the game and it was fun going against him,” Flowers said of Foles. “Obviously I know Nick and played with Nick. He’s a great player and he did a great job here.”
Foles was also an honorary captain for Arizona’s season opener in 2023.
Leading up to the Arizona-Kansas State game, Flowers joined “Spears & Ali” on ESPN Tucson. Here’s part of that interview:
When you reflect back on your decision to come to Arizona, why did you choose the UA over USC and Notre Dame?
A: “For me it was a tough decision, but I didn’t want to get caught into the glamor of Notre Dame or USC, these prestigious schools,” Flowers said. “I wanted to go somewhere I fit and felt comfortable and be not too far away from home, but also not too close. Those were my dealbreakers when it came to recruiting and then when I went to the U of A, I loved the culture. ... I felt like it was going to be the best thing for me. If I could do it again, I would do it all over again.”
Arizona linebacker Marquis Flowers (2) celebrates a tackle at the line of scrimmage during the second quarter vs. Oregon on Nov. 23, 2013, in Tucson. Arizona upset No. 5 Oregon 42-16.
What is your all-time favorite home game at Arizona?
A: “There’s a number of them. My favorite memories are games like this, the big games. The big (national) TV games with a big-time college coming into town. For me, it was Iowa my freshman year (in 2010), then USC my junior year (in 2012). We had some big games at the U of A, where no one counted us to win and then we came out and played tough, played hard and came out with a win. It made for memorable moments.”
How do you reflect on your plays in the come-from-behind victory against Nevada in the 2012 New Mexico Bowl?
A: “It was a great day. Honestly, it was a day filled with emotions. We were down 21 (points) twice. That Nevada team was tough and nothing was going our way. Once we figured it out, we never gave up. That was the model RichRod had for us, just never give up. Once we got back in the game, gave the ball to the offense, (quarterback) Matt Scott made plays and then everything started going our way. That was probably the biggest my eyes have ever gotten when I saw the ball roll for the onside kick. It hit the guy in the face mask and then ricocheted and I was the first person to break on the ball because I was anticipating it. ... Momentum is huge in college football. It’s hard to break momentum when a team keeps making plays. ... I definitely remember that day like it was yesterday.”
In demand
After Arizona men’s basketball players finished a 45-minute autograph session at Bear Down Field in mid-90s heat before Friday’s game, point guard Jaden Bradley was walking back across Cherry Avenue while talking to the Star when associate head coach Jack Murphy wheeled around the corner in a golf cart.
“Let him breathe!” Murphy said jokingly to the Star. “Let him live his life!”
From left, UA freshmen Koa Peat, Bryce James, Mabil Mawut and Dwayne Aristode sign autographs at the Bear Down Bash before Friday’s Arizona-Kansas State football game.
But, well, there wasn’t time for that.
Still two weeks away from full practices, Bradley and the Wildcats were on another typically busy itinerary that put them alongside the football team’s pregame Wildcat Walk and then into the center of the pregame Bear Down Bash, where about 200 fans were waiting for their 3:45 p.m. arrival.
Even though the Wildcats now receive revenue-sharing from the school, basketball GM Matt King said they all volunteered their time to show up in the afternoon heat, something Bradley confirmed.
“Yes, sir,” Bradley said. “We got a nice football game against Kansas State and we’re supporting our football team and giving back to our fans. We just love to interact with the community.”
It was actually something of a favor returned. Several UA football players sat outside the north end of McKale Center to sign autographs before a men’s basketball game last season.
“Across the athletic department, we want to be supportive of other sports, and the university as a whole,” King said.
But while the UA football team enjoyed a pleasant winter evening outside of McKale last season, the basketball players on Friday were seated at tables under a tent, where it baked even if the sun didn’t hit them directly, as it did the snaking line of fans who waited.
Even for a native of upstate New York who has spent a summer in Alabama and now three in Tucson, Bradley was still sweating it.
“You feel like you can’t get used to this heat,” Bradley said. “I’m grateful, though, for sure.”
Afternoon oddities
Arizona doesn’t play a lot of games scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. on a Friday. As such, there were some odd occurrences a couple of hours before the game.
If you were driving up Highland Avenue or down Sixth Street, you might have encountered students leaving Mansfeld Magnet Middle School, which is across the street from the UA campus.
The Sixth Street parking garage also was more crowded than usual — not because of early-arriving football fans but because UA employees hadn’t left work yet.
The vibe along the UA mall tailgate was considerably duller than usual Friday afternoon. About two hours before the 6 p.m. kickoff, roughly a quarter of the fans normally on hand at that time could be seen strolling, sitting around, or throwing footballs or corn hole bags.
Among those with representation along the mall: Country Financial, Sundt Construction and LunchBox Cannibis Dispensary. There was also a 10-foot-high Wilbur with a bubble machine at his feet.
Arizona safety Gunner Maldonado (9) watches for a suspected onside kick following an Arizona State touchdown in the third quarter of their Pac -12 game and the 97th Territorial Cup, Nov. 25, 2023, in Tempe.
Gunner gear
You never know what jerseys you’ll see fans wearing at a UA football game, especially on “Retro Night.”
At least two fans were spotted wearing navy No. 68s — the number worn by two-time consensus All-American Tedy Bruschi.
Outside Gate 3, a fan sported a blue No. 9 with “Maldonado” on the back. Gunner Maldonado played four seasons for Arizona before transferring to Kansas State this past offseason. He’s played for three colleges, all nicknamed “Wildcats”: Northwestern, Arizona and K-State.
Friday Night Lights
Friday’s game featured a drone show at halftime — a first for a UA football game.
UA logos through the years comprised the theme of the show. The drones were launched from Sitton Field just to the south of Arizona Stadium. A colorful array of small, square landing mats were arranged on the grass field before the game.
The show was put on by Grizzly Entertainment. Two days earlier, the company put on a drone show in Long Island, New York, honoring 9/11 first responders.
