| Sport: | football |
| Year: | 1987 |
| Team: | Arizona Wildcats |
| Conference: | Pacific-10 Conference |
| Short Conf: | Pac–10 |
| Record: | 4–4–3 |
| Conf Record: | 2–3–3 |
| Head Coach: | Dick Tomey |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Off Coach: | Dick Tomey |
| Oc Year: | 1st |
| Def Coach: | Larry Mac Duff |
| Dc Year: | 1st |
| Stadium: | Arizona Stadium |
The 1987 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. They were coached by Dick Tomey in his first season with the school. Tomey was hired from Hawaii to replace Larry Smith, who accepted the head coaching position at USC, who like Arizona, was in the Pac-10 Conference. Tomey and Smith would face other later in the season (see below).
The departure of Smith heavily affected the Wildcats in the season, leading to a rebuild of the team led by Tomey, and ultimately finishing the season with a record of 4–4–3 (2–3–3 in Pac-10), including a tie with rival Arizona State in the season finale.
Arizona ended 1986 with a 9–3 record and won the Aloha Bowl, which was their first postseason win. When the season concluded, Smith was hired by conference opponent USC to take over the team, reportedly due to the Trojans’ longer-lasting football tradition as well as Smith’s success with Arizona.[1] Arizona would hire Tomey, who was coaching at Hawaii, and accepted the coaching position (Tomey had attended the Aloha Bowl and was impressed by Arizona's performance that he contacted the school and was ultimately hired).[2] Due to the Wildcats getting a new coach and Smith leaving for USC, the Wildcats struggled to get in-state recruits and entered the 1987 season unranked in the polls.
In Tomey's Arizona debut, the Wildcats hosted Iowa. Arizona's offense struggled at times, but the defense kept them in the game. They would fall a point short to the Hawkeyes.[4]
See also: Arizona-New Mexico football rivalry.
In their second game of the season, Arizona hosted New Mexico, and the Wildcats defeated the Lobos to give Tomey his first win as Arizona coach and the rivalry's trophy, the Kit Carson Rifle, remained in Tucson (the rifle would be retired after the 1997 season).[5] [6]
In Arizona's Pac-10 opener, they visited UCLA, who was ranked 13th. In what was Tomey's first big test, the Wildcats hung with the Bruins before UCLA pulled away late to win.[7]
In Berkeley, the visiting Wildcats took on California. Both Arizona and the Golden Bears tied each other and the score ended up in a tie.[8]
On homecoming day, Arizona faced Washington and was still looking for their first win over the Huskies. Both teams would play even, and the game ultimately ended in a draw.[9]
On the road at USC, Tomey faced his predecessor Larry Smith, and came up short to the Trojans. It was the first time in Wildcats history that a head coach faced an opponent coached by his predecessor in his first season.[10] [11] USC would ultimately go on to clinch a spot in the Rose Bowl near the end of the season.
See also: Arizona-Arizona State football rivalry.
In Tempe for the rivalry game, Arizona and Arizona State battled back and forth all game long. In the final minute of the fourth quarter, ASU led 24-21 and appeared on its way to ending the Wildcats’ five-game winning streak in the rivalry when they fumbled on a punt attempt and Arizona recovered the ball in the red zone. The Wildcats would convert on a field goal as time expired to settle for a tie. It would be the rivalry's first and only tie in history (the 1979 meeting nearly ended in a tie, but was thwarted by an ASU penalty on the final play and led to a winning Arizona field goal).[12] [13] [14]
Despite finishing the 1987 season with a mediocre record, the Wildcats had a bright future under Tomey. Arizona captured winning seasons for the rest of the 1980s and dominated the early part of the 1990s with a menacing defense. Tomey would coach the Wildcats to two memorable seasons in the decade (1993 and 1998) and resigned as coach in 2000, and is the winningest coach in Wildcat football history.[17]