Javier Morales took first place in the 2010 Arizona Press Club’s Metro Sports Reporting category. For a different look at University of Arizona sports, check out Javier’s unique Web site: WILDABOUTAZCATS.net

Former Arizona quarterback John Conner is now a successful health-insurance broker in Sacramento, Calif. (Conner family photo)

For 27 years, John Conner was the answer to a dubious trivia question pertaining to Arizona football: Who was the last Wildcat quarterback to be drafted by an NFL team?

Conner no longer is the answer of being the last UA quarterback drafted in the NFL — an almost three-decade drought — after this year’s draft. Former Wildcat quarterback Nick Foles was drafted Friday in the third round by Philadelphia, the 88th pick overall. Conner was the previous UA quarterback taken in the 1985 draft by Seattle in the 10th round.

“(I am) pretty surprised and it’s pretty funny actually,” Conner told me. “For a Pac-10 team to go so long without a quarterback drafted does not look very good, especially in a quarterback-centric league.”

The Pac-10, converted to the Pac-12 last year when Utah and Colorado joined the league, had 82 quarterbacks drafted in the last 25 years, including 18 from USC, according to Arizona Daily Star columnist Greg Hansen.

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This is the first of a three-part recap of Arizona’s nine victories against AP Top 10 teams who have traveled to Tucson. The 24th-ranked Wildcats host No. 9 Iowa on Saturday, marking the first non-conference top 10 team to play in Tucson since No. 2 Miami, Fla., beat the Cats 36-9 on Oct. 26, 1991.

Arizona 23, No. 2 UCLA 17 (Nov. 1, 1980 — 42,876 attendance)

To see a YouTube video of this game, visit our partner site WILDABOUTAZCATS.com

Arizona’s first win over a team ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll in Tucson was against No. 2 UCLA — or better yet, No. 1 1/2 UCLA — on Nov. 1, 1980.

Top-ranked Alabama lost earlier that day to Mississippi State, paving the way for the Bruins (6-0 at the time) to be the No. 1 team in the nation if they beat the down-but-not-out Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. UCLA heard about Alabama’s loss during halftime of its game in Tucson.

Arizona entered the game 2-4 and losers of three straight, two of which were against two other No. 2 teams — USC and Notre Dame — when they rolled through Tucson.

Instead of being another round of fodder against the Bruins, the Cats achieved perhaps their most significant win in school history at Arizona Stadium, especially considering the circumstances.

When the Cats upset No. 1-ranked Washington in 1992 — arguably the top victory in Tucson — they were in the midst of a five-game winning streak. In addition to the three-game losing streak in 1980, the Cats, trying to rectify a sputtering offense, started freshman quarterback Tom Tunnicliffe against UCLA.

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