| Year: | 1968 |
| Team: | Arizona Wildcats |
| Conference: | Western Athletic Conference |
| Short Conf: | WAC |
| Record: | 8–3 |
| Conf Record: | 5–1 |
| Hc Year: | 2nd |
| Bowl Result: | L 10–34 vs. Auburn |
The 1968 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. In their second and final season under head coach Darrell Mudra, the Wildcats compiled an 8–3 record (5–1 against WAC opponents), finished in a tie for second place in the WAC, lost to Auburn in the Sun Bowl, and outscored their opponents, 186 to 149.[1] [2] The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.
The team's statistical leaders included Mark Driscoll with 927 passing yards, Noki Fulmaono with 579 rushing yards, and Ron Gardin with 892 receiving yards.[3]
Mudra stepped down as Arizona coach at the end of the season to accept the head coaching position at Western Illinois, and the Wildcats had to find a new coach for the 1969 season.[4]
See also: 1968 Arizona State Sun Devils football team and Arizona-Arizona State football rivalry.
Prior to the matchup against Arizona State, Wildcat coach Mudra contacted the Sun Bowl committee about the possibility of having the winner of the Arizona–ASU game play in the bowl game. Wyoming, the eventual WAC winner, had won the conference in the previous two seasons, but lost to Arizona in their head-to-head matchup in 1968 and defeated ASU. As a result, Arizona had a slight better conference record that both Wyoming and ASU and Mudra issued an ultimatum to the Sun Bowl committee that Arizona would either be invited to play regardless of the result of the ASU game or not play a bowl at all. The committee chose the Wildcats to appear in the bowl, much to the anger of ASU and their fans.[5]
In the rivalry game itself, Arizona State shook off the controversy and defeated Arizona in a game that was known to fans as the “Ultimatum Bowl”.[6] ASU was left out of a bowl game due to a lack of bowl games available at the time.
See main article: 1968 Sun Bowl.
See also: 1968 Auburn Tigers football team.
In their first bowl appearance since 1948, the Wildcats took on Auburn from the SEC. After a 10–10 tie at the half, the Tigers broke the game open in the second half on its way to a 34–10 victory.[7]