In the 50 days leading up to Arizona’s season-opener against Toledo, on Sept. 1 at Arizona Stadium, TucsonCitizen.com and its affiliate WildAboutAZCats.net will rank the Top 50 games in the history of the football program. The ranking is at No. 4 as the kickoff to the Wildcats’ season — and the start of the Rich Rodriguez era — is only four days away.

SCORE: No. 14 Arizona Wildcats 34, No. 4 ASU Sun Devils 17

DATE: Nov. 22, 1986

SITE: Arizona Stadium, 58,267 in attendance

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: “You Can’t Smell Roses With A Broken Nose”

The scoreboard at Arizona Stadium reflects Chuck Cecil’s achievement as the UA took a commanding lead in its upset win over No. 4 ASU in 1986 (fan photo)

An Arizona fan lofted that sign high in Arizona Stadium as the Wildcats were delivering a knockout blow of historical proportions.

The punch that put an exclamation point on the victory was Chuck Cecil’s 106-yard interception for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The play, officially listed at 100 yards, is the greatest play in the history of the program.

The Sun Devils were 9-0-1 entering the game, already clinching a spot in their first Rose Bowl, and were challenging for a national championship. The Wildcats (7-2) had not beaten their arch-rivals this convincingly since 1964 when Jim LaRue’s team pounded Frank Kush’s 8-1 team 30-6 in Tucson.

The victory was the fifth straight by the Wildcats over their archrival during “The Streak” and earned them a berth in the Aloha Bowl against North Carolina, in which they won to notch their first bowl victory in school history.

The Sun Devils failed to notch their first undefeated regular season since 1975, when they went 11-0.

An over-capacity crowd of 58,267 — the second-largest ever at Arizona Stadium at the time– saw the Wildcats convert four ASU turnovers into 24 points, highlighted by Cecil’s return. His interception of a Jeff Van Raaphorst tied an NCAA record at 100 yards although he caught it six yards deep in the end zone. Under NCAA rules, interceptions inside the end zone are measured from the goal line.

“I just ran,” Cecil told the Citizen years later. “I still, to this day, don’t know why I ran it out.”

Lost through the years over the hyperbole of Cecil’s interception is the pass rush on Van Raaphorst, including that of tackle George Hinkle from the left side and nose guard Jim Birmingham up the middle. Hinkle and Birmingham put pressure on the ASU quarterback to hurry his throw toward Aaron Cox into coverage.

It was one of six snaps Arizona State took inside the Wildcats 5 but came away empty-handed every time. ASU also lost the ball once inside the 5 on a fumble — that was caused by Cecil in the first quarter — and was stopped on three plays from the 3 another time.

After Arizona took a 21-10 lead on the opening possession of the third quarter, the Sun Devils drove as far as the Wildcats 3. However, three carries by Channing Williams only got Arizona State to the 1.

James DeBow

Chuck Cecil

Kent Bostrom then kicked an 18-yard field goal, but the Wildcats were flagged for too many men on the field. ASU coach John Cooper elected to take the points off the board and went for the touchdown. The move by Cooper, winless in three games against Arizona as ASU’s coach, backfired because of an other highlight defensive play, this one by linebacker James DeBow.

On fourth-and-inches, Williams was stopped just short of the goal line by DeBow, who held up Williams’ penetration long enough for his teammates to join to prevent the touchdown. DeBow weighed 195 pounds compared to Williams, who tipped the scale at 216.

“It`s sweet to win five straight (over ASU),” DeBow, who also had an interception in the game, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. “I think we have a psychological edge on them.”

Cooper told the AP: “We didn`t score when we had the opportunity and the U of A played a great game.”

The Wildcats were also led by senior running back David Adams, who gained 91 yards on 18 carries. UA quarterback Alfred Jenkins, who was uncertain whether he would start entering the game, completed 11 of 17 passes for 165 yards and one touchdown. Van Raaphorst completed 38 of 55 passes on the day for 437 yards and two touchdowns, but was also intercepted three times.

“I said before the game I felt we were ready to bust loose and play our best game of the season and I think we did,” UA coach Larry Smith was quoted as saying by the AP. “The beautiful thing about it is that it was in front of the whole country.

“We beat the No. 4 team in the country and the Pac-10 champion. That’s a lot to be proud of.”

Arizona started strong, thanks to the efforts of Cecil and DeBow, and that provided the confidence and momentum for the Wildcats to knock off the previously unbeaten Sun Devils.

After Hinkle recovered a fumble caused by Cecil at the Arizona three-yard line, the Wildcats drove 97 yards in six plays, with Adams scoring on an 18-yard swing pass from Jenkins with 7:14 remaining in the first quarter. Art Greathouse, a freshman tailback from Phoenix, bulled over from five yards out 1:29 into the second quarter to make it 14-0. The 11-play, 73-yard drive was set up by DeBow’s interception at the Arizona 29-yard line.

THE COUNTDOWN:

No. 5 — Zendejas returns after hastily leaving UA at halftime, makes 48-yard FG to beat Notre Dame (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 6 — 1982 upset win keeps Sun Devils from Rose Bowl, starts “The Streak” (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 7 — “Leap by the Lake” most amazing individual play in UA history gives Cats win over Huskies (WildAboutAZCats.com)

No. 8 — UA loses heartbreaker to ASU wondering: “The Catch” really a catch? (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 9 — Arizona (12-1) achieves best record, highest ranking to end season with 1998 win over Nebraska (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 10 — UA wins 1926 game after McKale delivers Salmon’s “Bear Down” line (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 11 — The Desert Swarm is born in 1992 near-upset of top-ranked Miami at the Orange Bowl (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 12 — Zendejas’ 57-yard FG ties UA record, keeps ASU out of Rose Bowl again (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 13 — Arizona blows 20-point lead and shot at the Rose Bowl with 1993 collapse at California (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 14 — UA upsets No. 2 UCLA in 1980 when Bruins appeared ready to be No. 1 (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 15 — L.A. Times reporter: Arizona shows “fight of wildcats” in 1914 game vs. Occidental (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 16 — UA leads UCLA late in third quarter but loses big in 12-1 season (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 17 — Unranked Arizona upsets Ohio State, Woody Hayes in Buckeyes’ 1967 opener in Columbus (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 18 — Arizona and hasty coach Mudra lose Ultimatum Bowl to ASU in 1968 (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 19 — Arizona keeps “The Streak” without loss to ASU alive in ’87 with bizarre finish that ends in tie (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 20 — Arizona fit to be tied with Cal despite leading 26-3 in third quarter (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 21 — Zendejas’ last-second 45-yard FG vs. ASU generates momentum for “The Streak” to endure (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 22 — Arizona wins its first bowl behind “Heat-seeking Missile” Chuck Cecil (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 23 — Collapse vs. Utah after leading 27-0 in fourth quarter changed the face of UA football (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 24 — UA shuts out ASU, Kush during dominating run for Sun Devils coach (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 25 — Arizona’s defense and Doug Pfaff’s last-second FG enough to upset sixth-ranked Oklahoma (WildAboutAZCats.com)

No. 26 — UA upsets ASU from Fiesta Bowl consideration in program’s best stretch (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 27 — Trung Canidate rushes for record 288 yards and three long TDs in ’98 shootout against ASU (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 28 — UA dominates No. 3 SMU, highest ranked non-conference foe to lose to Cats (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 29 — Arizona stuns second-ranked Oregon in most significant victory in Mike Stoops era (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 30 — Arizona win on last-second FG over ASU ends Kush dominance in series (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 31 — Arizona reaches its zenith under Stoops with victory over Brigham Young in Las Vegas Bowl (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 32 — Arizona owed Cal a couple, knock Bears out of BCS title, Rose Bowl run (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 33 — Arizona’s 10-9 loss at Oregon in 1994, derailing its Rose Bowl hopes, still hurts (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 34 — ASU ripe for picking in banana uniforms for “The Streak” to reach eight (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 35 — Arizona tries risky fake PAT to beat California but loses in epic 4 overtime game (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 36 — Veal to Hill “Hail Mary” pass highlights “The Streak” reaching seven games against ASU (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 37 — USC outlasts Arizona 48-41 in one of most wild games played in Tucson (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 38 — Arizona shows signs of life under Stoops with rout over No. 7 UCLA (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 39 — Art Luppino “The Cactus Comet” rockets toward 38 yards per carry and five touchdowns (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 40 — Fumblerooski enables Arizona to sweep USC, UCLA in L.A. for first time (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 41 — Sun Devil nemesis Dan White quarterbacks Arizona into Fiesta Bowl with win over ASU (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 42 — Struggling UA gets improbable win against ’83 Pac-10 champ UCLA (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 43 — Closing chapter of “The Streak” includes Arizona’s dramatic fourth-quarter heroics (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 44 — Arizona overcomes rival Texas Tech with unfathomable late-game rally (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 45 — Dick Tomey, the Desert Fox, does a number on UCLA by changing offense in midseason (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 46 — “The Streak” reaches three games, UA achieves best Pac-10 finish (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 47 — Arizona’s first game at Arizona Stadium in 1929, a 35-0 win over Cal Tech (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 48 — Underdog Arizona’s 2011 thriller over arch-rival Arizona State (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 49 — Arizona’s first win over arch-rival Arizona State, then known as Territorial Normal (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 50 — Arizona’s first win in program’s history: 22-5 over Tucson Indians (TucsonCitizen.com)

In the 50 days leading up to Arizona’s season-opener against Toledo, on Sept. 1 at Arizona Stadium, TucsonCitizen.com and its affiliate WildAboutAZCats.net will rank the Top 50 games in the history of the football program. The ranking is at No. 22 as the kickoff to the Wildcats’ season — and the start of the Rich Rodriguez era — is only 22 days away.

SCORE: Arizona Wildcats 30, North Carolina Tar Heels 21

DATE: Dec. 27, 1986

SITE: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii — 26,743 in attendance

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: Arizona capitalized on big defensive plays in the Aloha Bowl to coast to its first victory in a bowl game in school history after 65 years and five tries. The Wildcats were 0-4-1 in bowls before this game. The tie — a 13-13 standoff with Georgia in the Sun Bowl — occurred a year earlier.

The game was also the last at Arizona for seven-year coach Larry Smith, who accepted the head coaching position at USC. Ironically, his replacement, Dick Tomey, coached Hawaii at the very stadium Smith ended his Wildcat stint. Smith, who passed away at age 68 in 2008, became the first and last UA coach to win his final game as a Wildcat coach since 1951 when Bob Winslow’s team capped a 6-5 season with a 32-21 win over — you guessed it — Hawaii.

Seven coaches led the Wildcats between Winslow and Smith. Winslow, by the way, was a star defensive end for USC. He was forced out at Arizona after three brief years because his team lost 61-14 at ASU earlier in the 1951 season and other off-the-field matters, including a chicken-stealing incident involving a player.

All-American free safety Chuck Cecil, the MVP of the Aloha Bowl in 1986, led a defense that forced five fumbles against North Carolina. Senior tailback David Adams finished his career with 81 yards rushing and a touchdown and three receptions for 77 yards. Offensive MVP Alfred Jenkins completed 12 of 28 passes for 187 yards and a score.

Former UA coach Larry Smith walks off the field with the Aloha Bowl trophy among celebrating Wildcat players (TucsonCitizen file photo)

A Jim Birmingham fumble recovery led to a 31-yard Gary Coston field goal to begin the scoring. Later, Boomer Gibson partially blocked a punt, and the Cats put seven more on the board with an Adams one-yard run. Danny Lockett’s sack of Mark Maye caused a fumble, and the Cats cashed in with another Coston field goal for a 13-0 halftime lead.

Arizona’s Jeff Valder booted a 52-yard field goal to set an Aloha Bowl record in the third quarter. Then Cecil clobbered Jonathan Hall, and Jerry Beasley recovered the fumble at the Tar Heel 30. Jenkins found Jon Horton from 13 yards out for the quick score. Another Tar Heel fumble led to Art Greathouse’s 5=yard scoring run, and the Cats were in control 30-0.

The Tar Heels rallied for three touchdowns in the second half, but the UA defense held firm in the last nine minutes.

“At the half, we had controlled the game,” Smith told reporters. “Then the guys must have started thinking about bikinis.”

Former Arizona assistant coach Duane Akina recounted a story with TucsonCitizen.com’s Anthony Gimino about Cecil in the Aloha Bowl while Akina was working with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. Akina scouted Adams in the Aloha Bowl and Cecil caught his eye.

“Chuck had some great hits. I remember sitting in the stands going, ‘God, I wonder who that kid is?’” Akina told Gimino after Cecil was chosen to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

Cecil was directly responsible for two fumbles against the Tar Heels. A three-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection as a safety, Cecil was given the nickname “Heat-Seeking Missile” by a North Carolina assistant coach afterward because of his bone-jarring tackles.

The countdown:

No. 23 — Collapse vs. Utah after leading 27-0 in fourth quarter changed the face of UA football (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 24 — UA shuts out ASU, Kush during dominating run for Sun Devils coach (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 25 — Arizona’s defense and Doug Pfaff’s last-second FG enough to upset sixth-ranked Oklahoma (WildAboutAZCats.com)

No. 26 — UA upsets ASU from Fiesta Bowl consideration in program’s best stretch (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 27 — Trung Canidate rushes for record 288 yards and three long TDs in ’98 shootout against ASU (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 28 — UA dominates No. 3 SMU, highest ranked non-conference foe to lose to Cats (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 29 — Arizona stuns second-ranked Oregon in most significant victory in Mike Stoops era (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 30 — Arizona win on last-second FG over ASU ends Kush dominance in series (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 31 — Arizona reaches its zenith under Stoops with victory over Brigham Young in Las Vegas Bowl (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 32 — Arizona owed Cal a couple, knock Bears out of BCS title, Rose Bowl run (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 33 — Arizona’s 10-9 loss at Oregon in 1994, derailing its Rose Bowl hopes, still hurts (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 34 — ASU ripe for picking in banana uniforms for “The Streak” to reach eight (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 35 — Arizona tries risky fake PAT to beat California but loses in epic 4 overtime game (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 36 — Veal to Hill “Hail Mary” pass highlights “The Streak” reaching seven games against ASU (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 37 — USC outlasts Arizona 48-41 in one of most wild games played in Tucson (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 38 — Arizona shows signs of life under Stoops with rout over No. 7 UCLA (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 39 — Art Luppino “The Cactus Comet” rockets toward 38 yards per carry and five touchdowns (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 40 — Fumblerooski enables Arizona to sweep USC, UCLA in L.A. for first time (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 41 — Sun Devil nemesis Dan White quarterbacks Arizona into Fiesta Bowl with win over ASU (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 42 — Struggling UA gets improbable win against ’83 Pac-10 champ UCLA (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 43 — Closing chapter of “The Streak” includes Arizona’s dramatic fourth-quarter heroics (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 44 — Arizona overcomes rival Texas Tech with unfathomable late-game rally (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 45 — Dick Tomey, the Desert Fox, does a number on UCLA by changing offense in midseason (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 46 — “The Streak” reaches three games, UA achieves best Pac-10 finish (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 47 — Arizona’s first game at Arizona Stadium in 1929, a 35-0 win over Cal Tech (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 48 — Underdog Arizona’s 2011 thriller over arch-rival Arizona State (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 49 — Arizona’s first win over arch-rival Arizona State, then known as Territorial Normal (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 50 — Arizona’s first win in program’s history: 22-5 over Tucson Indians (TucsonCitizen.com)

In the 50 days leading up to Arizona’s season-opener against Toledo, on Sept. 1 at Arizona Stadium, TucsonCitizen.com and its affiliate WildAboutAZCats.net will rank the Top 50 games in the history of the football program. The ranking is at No. 28 as the kickoff to the Wildcats’ season — and the start of the Rich Rodriguez era — is only 28 days away.

SCORE: Arizona Wildcats 28, No. 3 Southern Methodist Mustangs 6

DATE: Oct. 5, 1985

SITE: Arizona Stadium, 52,114 in attendance

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: This one would be ranked higher on this list if Southern Methodist was not on probation, banned from a bowl that season (in which if finished 6-5). In fact, the Mustangs were on probation five separate times between 1974 and 1985. The Mustangs had plenty of talent in 1985, with players such as five-year NFL running back Reggie Dupard, when the Wildcats pulled off the upset. But we later discovered that some of that talent, including allegedly Dupard, was paid under the table as part of a slush fund and SMU was sentenced to the “Death Penalty” by the NCAA in 1987 and 1988, unable to field a football team those seasons.

Nevertheless, Arizona’s rout of SMU is certainly one for the history books for the Wildcats. The Mustangs, ranked No. 3 in the AP poll entering the game, remain the highest-ranked non-conference opponent to lose to the Wildcats. The 22-point differential is the most for the Wildcats against a ranked non-conference foe in the program’s history.

Arizona quarterback Alfred Jenkins uncorked what was a dormant offense with three touchdown passes in the upset victory. The Wildcats scored three touchdowns during an 11-minute span in the second quarter to go ahead 21-6. The Mustangs, who entered the game with the nation’s longest win streak of eight games, could never get off the canvas.

Arizona had scored only five touchdowns in its four previous games. SMU had averaged 45.5 points in its first two games in victories over UTEP and TCU. The Wildcat defense clamped down on SMU’s heralded offense, which came into the game as the nation’s total offense leader, second in rushing and third in scoring.

SMU looked impressive early, driving 99 yards for a touchdown in a 14-play drive in its second possession of the game. The extra-point attempt was blocked by Allan Durden and SMU led 6-0, but that lead was short-lived. After the Wildcats recovered a fumbled punt return, UA tailback David Adams scored on a 6-yard run on the first play of the second period. Jenkins connected on scoring passes of 13 yards to split end Derek Hill and 30 yards to split end Jon Horton in the second quarter.

Arizona led at halftime 21-6. UA coach Larry Smith wanted to head to the locker room with a larger margin but Max Zendejas missed a 60-yard field goal try with 13 seconds left in the half.

Adams, a 5-6, 168-pound tailback, rushed 22 times for 136 yards, outshining Dupard, a Heisman Trophy candidate entering that season. Dupard rushed 17 times for 82 yards, about half his 156.5-yard per game average. Dupard scored the Mustangs’ only touchdown, on a one-yard plunge.

In the third quarter, Jenkins completed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Horton, and Zendejas’ fourth extra point capped the scoring at 28-6.

Arizona capitalized on two fumbles during its second-period outburst, scoring after each. The defense also accounted for two fourth-quarter interceptions off Mustang quarterback Don King. The Wildcats rushed 38 times for 168 yards while holding Southern Methodist, who had averaged 385.8 yards rushing per game, to only 141 yards on 44 carries.

The Wildcats finished 8-3-1 that season, the tie occurring at the Sun Bowl against Georgia, the Wildcats’ first bowl under Smith.

The countdown:

No. 29 — Arizona stuns second-ranked Oregon in most significant victory in Mike Stoops era (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 30 — Arizona win on last-second FG over ASU ends Kush dominance in series (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 31 — Arizona reaches its zenith under Stoops with victory over Brigham Young in Las Vegas Bowl (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 32 — Arizona owed Cal a couple, knock Bears out of BCS title, Rose Bowl run (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 33 — Arizona’s 10-9 loss at Oregon in 1994, derailing its Rose Bowl hopes, still hurts (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 34 — ASU ripe for picking in banana uniforms for “The Streak” to reach eight (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 35 — Arizona tries risky fake PAT to beat California but loses in epic 4 overtime game (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 36 — Veal to Hill “Hail Mary” pass highlights “The Streak” reaching seven games against ASU (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 37 — USC outlasts Arizona 48-41 in one of most wild games played in Tucson (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 38 — Arizona shows signs of life under Stoops with rout over No. 7 UCLA (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 39 — Art Luppino “The Cactus Comet” rockets toward 38 yards per carry and five touchdowns (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 40 — Fumblerooski enables Arizona to sweep USC, UCLA in L.A. for first time (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 41 — Sun Devil nemesis Dan White quarterbacks Arizona into Fiesta Bowl with win over ASU (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 42 — Struggling UA gets improbable win against ’83 Pac-10 champ UCLA (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 43 — Closing chapter of “The Streak” includes Arizona’s dramatic fourth-quarter heroics (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 44 — Arizona overcomes rival Texas Tech with unfathomable late-game rally (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 45 — Dick Tomey, the Desert Fox, does a number on UCLA by changing offense in midseason (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 46 — “The Streak” reaches three games, UA achieves best Pac-10 finish (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 47 — Arizona’s first game at Arizona Stadium in 1929, a 35-0 win over Cal Tech (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 48 — Underdog Arizona’s 2011 thriller over arch-rival Arizona State (TucsonCitizen.com)

No. 49 — Arizona’s first win over arch-rival Arizona State, then known as Territorial Normal (WildAboutAZCats.net)

No. 50 — Arizona’s first win in program’s history: 22-5 over Tucson Indians (TucsonCitizen.com)

Don’t forget: For all the links, Twitter feeds and news feeds related to Arizona and its opponents, go to Morales’ site WILDABOUTAZCATS.NET. No other Arizona sports Web site is like it!

Wide receivers these days are perceived to be prima donnas who have more use of their mouths yapping than their guts making a catch in traffic in the middle of the field.

Former Arizona receiver Jay Dobyns is a talker — he has his own motivational speaking business — but that did not apply during his Wildcat career from 1982-84. His toughness spoke volumes, made opponents speechless and caused fans to hold their collective breath as they waited for him to get back on his feet after taking a lick.

“I just wanted to play like a crazy man,” Dobyns, our No. 1 offensive Arizona Wildcats Offensive Badass, told me this week. “I always felt that unless I scored a touchdown, no play should end on my feet. If I caught a pass, then someone was going to have to knock me down.

“If we ran the ball, then I was going to try to take someone out by any means necessary for a block. You can’t do that without giving up the goods.”

Dobyns, an agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), takes offense to the word “soft”. His look is a far cry from that — shaved head, goatee, tattoes and that sneer.

“The worst thing that anyone could ever say to me was that I was soft,” Dobyns told me. “You can tell me I was small, slow, etc., etc., etc. But don’t ever call me soft. That was my mentality.”

Here’s the rest of my Q&A with Dobyns (with an honorable mention of all those who did not make our Top 10 lists):

Q: I use the word badass as a positive term in this series. In your point of view what does it take for a player to be like that and be effective like you were?
Dobyns: All the players you selected have one common denominator: They were reckless with their spirit, enthusiasm and their bodies. They are guys who were willing to lose it all to win it all.

Jay Dobyns

Q: If you could spend a week with this year’s team what would you tell these kids?
Dobyns: Always get up. Sports, like life, are filled with getting knocked down. We set goals, fall short and guess what? The sun comes up the next morning. Always find a way to crawl to your feet and get in or stay in the fight for what you want and believe in.

Q: Who was the player or role model who drove you to be the kind of hard-nosed player that you were?
Dobyns: When I was a kid, I idolized Gayle Sayers. Man, I wanted to be able to run like him. Fred Biletnikoff and Bob Chandler — both slick route runners and pure hands guys. My favorite UA player was Scott Piper. He was the control receiver opposite “T” Bell that no one ever heard of but caught everything thrown to him.

Q: What did you do or say to get your teammates motivated?
Dobyns: I wanted them to see me at all times willing to do whatever I could to help us win. If it was going over the middle and getting destroyed to get a first down; if it was blocking down field for a teammate; if it was working before or after practice to make myself the best player I could be, I wanted my teammates to see a guy who wanted to win and help his team win more than anything. As the saying goes, I hated losing more than I loved winning. I hated to lose.

Q: How much did you wonder who would be the next Arizona football coach before athletic director Greg Byrne hired Rich Rodriguez?
Dobyns: A lot. I wanted Mr. Byrne to take Arizona football to a place where opponents fear us. We will not win every game. No team can or does. But, I wanted a coach to build a team that others are afraid of. I want Arizona football opponents to be looking for their teeth on the ground after they play us like ASU last weekend.

Honorable mention and notes:

David Adams

Whenever a top 10 list is done like this, it’s difficult to have all the greats included. Furthermore, many of these players are interchangeable. If I had to do it all over again, I would have rated David Adams higher than No. 4 on the offensive list.

Think of it this way — Out of the other 19 players listed, Adams had the odds stacked against him more to play major college football with his size, or lack thereof, at 5-6, 165 pounds. Not only did Adams play for the Wildcats, he excelled to the point of being the Pac-10′s top running back his senior season of 1986. His success is similar to that of Chuck Cecil, our No. 1 choice on the defensive side.

Cecil was viewed as undersized also but he played with the type of reckless nature that Dobyns described in this interview. That toughness helped Cecil become an All-Pro player in 1992.

I included only offensive and defensive players in this list. If I included special-teams players, the name Paul Kasprzyk would certainly be chief among them. The gunner made a name for sacrificing his body to get to the returner. Anthony Gimino once wrote for Tucson Citizen that Kasprzyk had two moves on special teams coverage. There was “Superman,” where he would try to leap defenders in a single bound, and the “mere mortal” – a hard-headed bull-rush into the blocking wedge.

Gimino wrote that Kasprzyk (who played at Arizona from 1985-88) was so reckless that in his junior year against Stanford, an official turned to him late in the game and said, “No. 21, please don’t do anything to get hurt now.”

Here’s the honorable mention of the others who did not make the top 10 lists (remember, these players are from when the Pac-10 formed in 1978 to now):

OFFENSE: Keith Smith, QB; Warner Smith, OL; Mark Walczak, TE; Cullen Plousha, WR; Jeff Kiewel, OL; Brad Anderson, WR; Tom Tunnicliffe, QB; Mike Thomas, WR; Charlie Dickey, OL; Mike Freeman, OL; John Fina, OL; Terry Vaughn, WR; and Trung Canidate, RB.

DEFENSE: Chuck Osborne, DT; Jimmy Sprotte, LB; John Kaiser, LB; Antonio Pierce, LB; Lance Briggs, LB; Ivan Lesnik, DT; Adrian Koch, LB; Ricky Elmore, DE; Mike Scurlock, CB; Randy Robbins, DB; Chris McAlister, DB; Brooks Reed, DE; Cleveland Crosby, DT; Dana Wells, NG; Darryll Lewis, DB; Dave Liggins, DB; Lamonte Hunley, LB; Chris Singleton, LB; Jeff Hammerschmidt, DB; Joe Salave’a, DT; Spencer Larsen, LB; Glenn Perkins, LB; Stan Mataele, DT; DaShon Polk, LB; and Gordon Bunch, DB.

THE BADASS LIST

DEFENSE

1. Chuck Cecil, safety (1984-87)
2. Ricky Hunley, linebacker (1980-83)
3. Rob Waldrop, defensive tackle (1990-93)
4. Tedy Bruschi, defensive end (1992-95)
5. Marcus Bell, linebacker (1996-99)
6. Byron Evans, linebacker (1983-86)
7. Brant Boyer, linebacker (1992-93)
8. Ty Parten, defensive tackle (1989-92)
9. Jimmie Hopkins, defensive end (1990-93)
10. Al “Bubba” Gross, safety (1979-82)

OFFENSE

1. Jay Dobyns, wide receiver (1982-84)
2. Richard Dice, wide receiver (1993-96)
3. Kelvin Eafon, tailback/fullback (1996-98)
4. David Adams, tailback (1984-86)
5. Joe Tofflemire, center (1985-88)
6. Glenn Parker, offensive guard (1988-89)
7. Rob Gronkowski, tight end (2007-08)
8. Hicham El-Mashtoub, center (1991-94)
9. Dennis Northcutt, wide receiver (1996-99)
10. Nick Foles, quarterback (2009-11)

Don’t forget: For all the links, Twitter feeds and news feeds related to Arizona and its opponents, go to Morales’ site WILDABOUTAZCATS.NET. No other Arizona sports Web site is like it!

DEFENSE

No. 4: TEDY BRUSCHI, defensive end (1992-1995)

Being a badass can be uplifting to not only a football program, but also a community, and, yes, a nation.

Tedy Bruschi is a Wildcat legend and a Tucson favorite because of how he emerged from obscurity, perceived to be too small and slow out of high school (6 feet and 230 pounds), to become the school’s all-time sack leader with 55. That’s more than double the next guy on the list — defensive end Ricky Elmore — who accumulated 25.5 sacks from 2007-10.

While with the New England Patriots, Bruschi — appropriately nicknamed “Full Tilt” — became a national hero when he returned to the field midway through the 2005 season after suffering a minor stroke. He played only seven months after doctors repaired a small hole in his heart that was the cause of his stroke.

“Getting back to playing football was a big part of why I wanted to come back, but how am I supposed to tell my sons (Tedy Jr., Rex and Dante) later in life that any obstacle can be overcome, that you can achieve anything in life, if I don’t live my life that way?” Bruschi was quoted as saying in a USA Today article.

“I want to draw off my experiences on how I lived my life and be able to teach them from what I’ve experienced. For me to be able to teach them about life and overcoming any challenge they’re presented with, I have to live my life that way.”

His sons — and all of us — can not have a better role model.

Bruschi, who grew up in an impoverished area of Sacramento, overcame a difficult upbringing after his parents divorced when he was 3. He didn’t start playing organized football until 14. He ran track, wrestled and lettered in football his last two years, when he was noticed by small colleges and former Arizona coach Dick Tomey.

It is well documented that Bruschi resorted to drinking and got into fights mostly because of the demands placed on him by his father and his helpless feeling about alleviating the burdens placed on his mom. As he matured at Arizona, and became one of the Desert Swarm’s standouts, Bruschi channeled that anger the appropriate way. He became a badass on the football field in every sense of the word.

“I had a chip on my shoulder the size of a boulder,” Bruschi said in a Boston Globe interview. “I suppose it comes from growing up hard. I can’t fully explain it. All I know is it seemed like I was angry a lot when I played football.”

Similar to former UA center Joe Tofflemire, No. 5 on our Badass List, Bruschi was a three-time All-Pac-10 first-team selection and a Morris Trophy winner for being the top lineman in the league in 1995. He was a consensus All-American in 1994 and a unanimous pick in 1995.

Scouts deemed him too small at 6-1, 247 pounds coming out of Arizona to make it as an NFL defensive end. But Bill Parcells, the Patriots coach at the time, and defensive assistants Bill Belichick, Al Groh and Romeo Crennel believed their 1996 third-round choice can thrive at linebacker.

Chalk that up as one of the best draft choices in Patriots’ history.

“I think (Bruschi’s) the kind of person that could do just about anything that his capabilities would allow him to do,” Tomey said in a 2008 Boston Globe article. “He was a great defensive end. Obviously, he would be undersized for the NFL … but he was just tremendously quick and he had a tremendous passion. He played at a different level than most other players, but again, he came that way and that’s not something we taught him.

“When he was coming out of college, everybody was suspicious about ‘is he big enough? Can he run fast enough?’ And you’re trying to pound it into their heads: ‘You just need to watch the tape. He’s a special player.’ Gladly, the Patriots recognized that.”

Bruschi, 38, who played 13 years in the NFL and won three Super Bowl rings with New England, serves as an NFL analyst for ESPN studio programs.

OFFENSE

No. 4 DAVID ADAMS, tailback (1984-1986)

This thrilling touchdown run against Washington State was captured in a YouTube video (click on the picture to view)

David Adams is the most extreme example of a Wildcat who answered quite emphatically those critics who claimed he was too small to succeed. The Atlanta Constitution-Journal described Adams as a “waif with wings” before the Wildcats played Georgia in the 1985 Sun Bowl.

The Sunnyside High School graduate, listed at 5-foot-6 and 165 pounds during his Wildcat career, is arguably pound-for-pound the biggest badass the program has produced. Former UA coach Larry Smith found promise in Adams where others did not.

“He keeps his nose to the grindstone,” the late Smith often said about Adams during the tailback’s career.

“One of the main things that motivated me was people saying I couldn’t do it,” Adams told me Sunday. “I wanted my mom (Clarice Adams) to be proud of me and football was what I was best at.”

Adams, who led the Pac-10 in rushing his senior season in 1986 with 1,175 yards on 238 attempts, made believers out of his opponents.

Former Oregon safety Anthony Newman, whose team allowed Adams to rush for 130 yards in a 41-17 loss in 1986, told the Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard: “David Adams is very hard to tackle, and he’s much calmer and collected and did a better job of reading the defense than last year. He is so quick, yet he’s still willing to run over you and strong enough to do it.”

Adams never stopped at hearing the word “No”, he said, and that separated him from not only players his size but the behemoths as well.

“If given the opportunity, I could show them I had the skills,” Adams told me in regards to coaches who passed on him out of Sunnyside. “I just wasn’t tall, but I could play. I also knew the world could only give you so many ‘Nos’ before somebody said ‘Yes’ … It just the law of average.

“Plus, I would not take no for an answer. Failure is never an option.”

David Adams' 18-yard scamper after catching a pass from Alfred Jenkins was one of the highlights of Arizona's 34-17 win over Rose Bowl-bound ASU in 1986 (click on the photo to access the YouTube video)

If Arizona’s current team, 2-6 and playing under an interim coach, embodied Adams’ fortitude, who knows? Adams missed only one game during his UA career because of a leg injury — “I could have played but the coaches didn’t let me,” said — which exemplified his badass nature even more. His teammates could always count on him. Can the same thing be said about today’s players?

“I would tell (the 2011 Cats) to be mentally tough; you must want to prove something more than anything else,” Adams said. “You must kill me to beat me because I will keep coming back until I win.

“Plus you must realize that I am the best and there is no way you can beat me at anything. If you do, we will play again until I win, no matter how long it takes.”

Adams, 47, said the plays he most remembers is “diving over the top (of the line) for touchdowns and first downs. I could always jump outta the gym!”

One of his most memorable plays, however, was a zig-zag 18-yard touchdown run after catching a pass from Alfred Jenkins when the Wildcats stunned Rose Bowl-bound ASU 34-17 in 1986 at Arizona Stadium. That play capped a 97-yard drive in the first quarter and set to the tone for the game, culminating on Chuck Cecil’s historic 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Adams is now a partner with A&K Ventures, a residential and commercial real-estate development firm in Tucson. He was drafted in the 12th round by Dallas in 1987. He played three games with the Cowboys that year when the league used replacement players during the NFL players union strike.

THE BADASS LIST

DEFENSE

4. Tedy Bruschi, defensive end (1992-95)
5. Marcus Bell, linebacker (1996-99)
6. Byron Evans, linebacker (1983-86)
7. Brant Boyer, linebacker (1992-93)
8. Ty Parten, defensive tackle (1989-92)
9. Jimmie Hopkins, defensive end (1990-93)
10. Al “Bubba” Gross, safety (1979-82)

OFFENSE

4. David Adams, tailback (1984-86)
5. Joe Tofflemire, center (1985-88)
6. Glenn Parker, offensive guard (1988-89)
7. Rob Gronkowski, tight end (2007-08)
8. Hicham El-Mashtoub, center (1991-94)
9. Dennis Northcutt, wide receiver (1996-99)
10. Nick Foles, quarterback (2009-11)

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.

Tunnicliffe engineered two 80-yard drives, passing 11 yards to Bob Carter for one touchdown 34 seconds before halftime and hitting Bill Nettling from 39 yards shortly after intemission to put the Cats ahead to stay.

Two minutes after Arizona’s Mike Robinson tackled UCLA quarterback Tom Ramsey for a safety, Ramsey’s last-second pass toward the end zone was intercepted by Dave Liggins. It was Liggins’ second interception of the game.

The Wildcats beat Iowa 5-3 in Iowa City that season before they endured their three-game losing streak.

Arizona 28, No. 6 ASU 18 (Nov. 27, 1982 — 58,515)

Arizona lineman Jeff Kiewel said it best in the days leading up to Arizona’s 1982 matchup with highly-rated ASU in Tucson. “If you beat ASU, it’s a game you’ll always remember,” he is quoted as saying by The Arizona Daily Star. “If you lose, it’s a game you’ll never forget.”

The Wildcats not only won, they knocked out ASU from Rose Bowl contention, making the victory one of the most memorable ever. Behind the monumental victory again was Tunnicliffe, who withstood ASU’s blitzes and hit Brad Anderson and Brian Holland for long TD passes.

Arizona, 5-4-1 entering the game, led 26-0 at one point and never looked back against the sixth-ranked Sun Devils.

Arizona 28, No. 3 SMU 6 (Oct. 5, 1985 — 52,114)

The Wildcats got off to a fast start, which stunned the pre-NCAA disciplined Mustangs. Arizona turned two SMU fumbles into second-quarter touchdowns and added a third score — all in a span of 11 minutes — to take a 21-6 lead before halftime.

Only two years later, the NCAA handed down the death penalty by canceling SMU’s entire 1987 schedule. SMU opted not to field a team in 1988 as well due to the severity of the penalty, a result of the program using a slush fund to pay athletes.

David Adams rushed 22 times for 136 yards against SMU in the 1985 game. The Mustangs as a team rushed for only two yards more in the game than Adams. SMU entered the game as the No. 1 team in the NCAA in total offense yardage, but the UA defense effectively shut the Mustangs down.

Arizona quarterback Alfred Jenkins had one of his most stellar games, connecting on three touchdown passes, including two to wideout Jon Horton.

The 22-point margin stands as the UA’s largest victory in Tucson over a non-conference team ranked in the top 10.

“We got beat in every phase of the game,” SMU coach Bobby Collins told reporters afterward. “We tried to tell our players this was a good ball club. Now we know how good they are.”