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. 42 as the kickoff to the Wildcats’ season — and the start of the Rich Rodriguez era — is only 42 days away.

SCORE: Arizona Wildcats 27, UCLA Bruins 24

DATE: Nov. 12, 1983

SITE: Arizona Stadium, 42,640 in attendance

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: Arizona’s dream start of 1983 — 4-0 and ranked No. 3 in the nation — turned into a nightmare by the time red-hot UCLA came to Tucson for the 10th game of that season. The Wildcats, derailed in Week Five by a 33-33 tie at Cal, in which the Golden Bears rallied from a 26-3 deficit in the second half, lost three consecutive games before they played the Bruins in this classic. Arizona fans became restless with head coach Larry Smith, although the Wildcats lost those three consecutive games by a total of only 19 points to Oregon, Stanford and No. 20 Washington. A crowd of only 42,640 showed up for the 10:30 a.m. kickoff, scheduled that early to accomodate the national television broadcast on CBS.

Those who attended were thankful they did not stay home because the finish was as good and improbable as any that has occurred at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats survived against a UCLA team quarterbacked by Rick Neuheisel that had won five straight games (after starting the season 0-3-1) and needed only a tie to punch its ticket to the Rose Bowl. Arizona wide receiver Jay Dobyns caught an 8-yard pass from Tom Tunnicliffe for the decisive touchdown with 61 seconds left, and UCLA All-American place-kicker John Lee — impeccable from within 40 yards — missed wide right on a 37-yard field goal attempt and a chance to tie the score on the final play of the game. Lee continues to hold the NCAA record for made field goals within 40 yards — 54 out of 56 (96.4 percent).

Arizona’s 69-yard drive culminating on Tunnicliffe’s touchdown pass to Dobyns in the back of the end zone was one of the best drives engineered by a Wildcat quarterback in a pressure situation. Tunnicliffe completed all four of his passes in the drive that started with 3:28 remaining. Among them, he connected with running back Chris Brewer for 11 yards on a third-and-7 situation and receiver Jon Horton for 12 yards on a third-and-2 play. He then completed a 32-yard reception to receiver Brad Anderson to the UCLA 3. After an offsides penalty that moved the ball back to the 8, Tunnicliffe connected with Dobyns for the go-ahead touchdown.

Former UA great and College Football Hall of Fame linebacker Ricky Hunley and wide receiver Jay Dobyns took part in this Arizona promotional video this season (Click on photo to play the YouTube video)

Neuheisel managed to drive UCLA in position for Lee’s attempted game-tying field goal, but the reliant Lee became unreliable for the Bruins at the right time for Arizona.

“I don’t know how he missed that field goal and I don’t care,” Smith told reporters after the game. “He missed it. Our guys deserved this win.”

Arizona place-kicker Max Zendejas outperformed Lee, his rival during their college careers, with field goals of 53 and 51 yards. All-American linebacker Ricky Hunley made a significant tackle, grabbing a UCLA running back from behind for a touchdown-saving tackle in the fourth quarter after the Bruins had the ball first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Hunley made another stop on a running play and the Bruins were forced to try a 22-yard field goal, which Lee made to cut Arizona’s lead to 20-17.

UCLA took a 24-20 lead with 6:51 left in the game following a Tunnicliffe intercepted pass at the Arizona 27 yard-line. Tunnicliffe atoned for the play — in which the ball sprung loose from a blind-sided tackle — with his heroic drive with less than 4 minutes remaining.

The Bruins beat USC 27-17 the following week to advance to the Rose Bowl, in which it defeated Illinois 45-9.

The countdown:

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

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

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

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

Javier Morales wearing a Boot Camp for Cancer shirt with a picture of his father Hector Morales, a cancer victim, pinned to his shirt. A portrait of Javier with his father is in the background (Javier Morales photo)

The race started before I could say, “Yes”. I turned toward the course, looked back quick enough to nod yes, and darted away as quick as I could. I must have started slow because I could still hear her say, “I went to ASU.”

That only added more fuel to my desire to start our relay strong last Saturday morning at the Las Vegas Athletic Club. At that moment, I was not only participating in the spirit of my father Hector A. Morales Jr., who passed away in March 2010 away after a decade-long bout with lymphoma. I had to represent the UA the best I could with a Sun Devil looking on, observing how I would start our relay.

Although in the best shape of my life — thanks mostly to a regular routine of cardiovascular and muscle training — I am by no means a runner. I kept up as best I could, but two female runners, who obviously ran daily as part of their fitness regimen, passed me by before we touched hands with the next runner in the relay. My ego was not totally bruised — two other runners didn’t make it to the relay point until after I finished.

More importantly, the woman who was an ASU alum on our team gave me a high-five after I completed my run as if I set a world record. When it comes to raising money for a worthy cause that impacts our society, allegiances such as those for UA and ASU rightfully take a back seat. Throughout the two-hour event, nobody was separated by school allegiances, religion, political beliefs, or even if we liked Tim Tebow or not.

Boot Camp for Cancer co-founders Trish Georges (left) and Angela Farrar. Georges is a breast cancer survivor.

The day was all about giving and it went beyond donating the money Boot Camp for Cancer needs. We gave our heart and sweat and pushed ourselves physically — some beyond their limits as they lost their breakfast — to show how far we would go to help those are afflicted by cancer.

The mastermind behind the Boot Camp for Cancer is Trish Georges, a paramedic from Las Vegas who is a breast cancer survivor. She along with fitness trainer Angela Farrar of Las Vegas started the event last year to help raise funds for cancer patients in need. Their charity has a novel approach. The approximately $10,000 they have raised in two years goes toward helping cancer patients make ends meet financially. They need this aid because they are unable to work and draw income while being treated.

“Our goal isn’t to find a cure for cancer or save the world,” Georges explains on the Boot Camp for Cancer Web site (BootCampforCancer.com). “We simply want to put food in someone’s fridge, fill medications, provide daily essentials and offer some financial relief to make your fight just a little easier!”

Boot Camp for Cancer logo (click on it to access the organization's Web site)

Georges started the event Saturday by talking about her story. After her doctor discovered a tumor the size of a golf ball in her breast in 2009, she underwent treatment after moving out of her four-bedroom house in Las Vegas. She moved in with a friend in California, who did not charge her rent to help alleviate the burden of medical fees owed that insurance does not cover.

It was difficult to keep a dry eye as she explained the difficulties placed on her life because of cancer and how she has persevered. Countless others share a similar burden.

“Trish receives e-mails on a regular basis from friends and friends of friends asking for guidance, financial assistance, and sometimes just a kind word,” according to the Boot Camp for Cancer Web site.

Tucson will stage an event called Beat Cancer Boot Camp, which will be held March 17 at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park. The theme of this charity is different. Its mission is to help survivors stay active during cancer treatment and beyond.

“Studies show that regular exercise can help relieve stress, anxiety, and combat some of the side effects common to cancer treatment such as nausea and fatigue,” its Web site states.

Former Arizona football player and current undercover federal agent and New York Times best-selling author Jay Dobyns will speak tonight at a Beat Cancer Boot Camp event in Tucson

The Beat Cancer Boot Camp will hold an Anniversary Event today at 5:30 p.m. at Brandi Fenton Park. Former University of Arizona football player Jay Dobyns, a federal undercover agent, New York Times best-selling author and public speaker, will be the keynote speaker. According to the Beat Cancer Boot Camp site, Dobyns (a certifiable tough guy in UA football annals) will discuss “the amazing human spirit to overcome adversity and the resiliency of never giving up in the face of fear and danger”.

My father embodied that kind of amazing human spirit throughout his life, and it never diminished when he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the late 1990s. A former Tucson city councilman and community activist, he always was a symbol of strength when he served and represented the less fortunate in Tucson despite not being wealthy himself.

I recall that he never became overwhelmed by his chemotherapy treatments. He tried to keep that smile and his positive attitude, mostly to try to alleviate his family’s worries. Although those treatments weakened him physically, he continued to fulfill his duties as the Executive Director of El Pueblo Clinic. He also served on the Fair Housing Council before moving to the Pima County Health Board, where he served until cancer finally claimed his life on March 12, 2010.

He was an active member of the Lions Club, Elks, and Knights of Columbus.

My father’s spirit and resolve spurred me to take part in the Boot Camp for Cancer event in Las Vegas last Saturday. I know he would be proud of such an event because it brings awareness to the struggles of cancer victims, particularly those who need help financially to meet life’s demands. My father was a champion to those who were challenged to meet those demands and worked hard to try to provide for themselves and their families.

While taking on the grueling regimen of the boot camp, his spirit and the inspiration from my aunt Norma Contreras and cousin Yvonne Lizardi — both cancer victims as well — helped me complete the exercises.

The boot camp included four phases. The first included 20 minutes of non-stop fitness drills that would make even NFL players have to take a breather. The next was the relay by the side of the Las Vegas Athletic Building (nothing like trying to run as fast as you can into a strong cold wind). Following that was timed results in sit-ups, push-ups and a two-lap run on the track within the building. In the end was a strength training session that included the use of barbells, dumbbells, steps and exercise balls.

Javier Morales' father Hector Morales (left), aunt Norma Contreras (center) and cousin Yvonne Lizardi (shown with her daughter Lauren) all fell victim to cancer (Javier Morales photos)

The movement from one station to the other was non-stop. It was indeed a boot camp with the volunteer fitness instructors — who donated their valuable time — pushing us along the way.

More than 175 people participated this year, an increase from the 150 or so who took part in the inaugural event last year. Each event raised close to $5,000, according to the event organizers.

Georges talked about how last year’s fund-raising helped some individuals stricken with cancer pay bills and get through temporarily some of life’s financial hardships. She has first-hand knowledge of that experience, much like my father knew all about trying to help others while going through difficulties of his own raising a family of five children with my mother Elsa in the barrio of South Tucson.

My father was all about giving back. He also respected those who paid it forward, with acts of kindness either random or planned.

Cancer has such a negative impact on our lives. It has altered mine forever. I know, through the spirit of my father, aunt Norma and cousin Yvonne, that the best way to combat cancer and all of its evils, is to take it on with an unbending strong faith and desire to rise above it.

Standing up to cancer goes beyond funding preventative research. Those who are already afflicted need our support. They can’t live without our support. We can all stand on common ground with that mission to improve their livelihood — UA and ASU fans, Democrats or Republicans, those for or against Tim Tebow, etc.

Participating in the Boot Camp for Cancer helps provide that hope for a better today for cancer patients. We may not be beating cancer, but we are literally giving it a run for its money. That run was grueling, as my sore legs are a testament, but I will be back next year, stronger than ever and gunning for first prize. Count on it.

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!

OFFENSE

“Every Saturday a kid who barely weighs 170 pounds dripping wet goes over the middle for us. I know this Jay is a tough, reckless, S.O.B. After games, he looks like he’s been run over by a train. I personally think he enjoys taking the defenses’ best shot just so he can get up and laugh at them.” – former UA coach Larry Smith, as quoted by the Arizona Daily Wildcat in 1984.

No. 1 JAY DOBYNS, wide receiver (1982-1984)

Most people know about Jay Dobyns as a badass off the football field as an undercover agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Dobyns was also every sense of the word while with the Wildcats.

Dobyns was a favorite target of quarterbacks Tom Tunnicliffe and Alfred Jenkins, especially over the middle of the field in traffic. Tunnicliffe and Jenkins knew that chances were if they threw in Dobyns’ direction, he had the hands and the toughness to secure the ball despite being defenseless against eager tacklers.

Dobyns also played hurt on many occasions. One time, after severely bruising a thigh, he was on crutches the day after the game. However the day after that, on Monday, he tried to jog off the pain. The coaches were amazed that Dobyns even tried to work his way back so fast. He was held out of the following week’s game as a precaution, much to his frustration.

“Jay was a leader on my teams,” the late Smith, Arizona’s coach from 1980-86, is quoted as saying on Dobyns’ Web site. “He is a leader in our community, and he was a one of those players that becomes special to a coach because he did everything asked of him to win.”

A Sahuaro High School grad, Dobyns played a year at Arkansas before transferring back to Tucson to play for his hometown team. He was a three-year starter. He became an All-Pac-10 honorable-mention selection in 1983 and 1984, and was named to the Arizona Daily Star’s All-Century team for Arizona as wide receiver in 1999.

In 1979 at Arizona Stadium, his spectacular touchdown catch in the back of the end zone, managing to keep his feet inbounds, proved to be the winning score against top-ranked UCLA.

Leo Banks of the Tucson Weekly aptly described Dobyns’ experience as a UA football player this way in a 2009 article:

He grows up mainly on Tucson’s eastside, loving football, loving the UA. On game days, he rides the bus from Speedway Boulevard and Camino Seco to campus to get his ticket. He dreams of one day playing on the same field, and the dream comes true. He starts for UA at wideout for three seasons in the early ’80s. Former teammate Glenn Howell says, “Nobody was going to outwork Jay. Man, he was a workout freak.”

When the gates to the field are locked, because it’s against the rules to practice, Dobyns and Howell hop the fence and go to work running routes. Dobyns isn’t fast, but he catches everything. If the quarterback throws the ball off the moon, he goes up and gets it. He wins all Pac-10 honorable mention his junior and senior years. “I didn’t have much raw talent, but I played like a maniac,” says Dobyns. “I had to if I wanted playing time. I threw fear out the window, played the hardest I could, and it carried over to ATF.”

Dobyns, alias Jaybird, became an ATF agent in 1987, only three years after playing his last game with the Wildcats. As a rookie agent only four days on the job, Dobyns was taken hostage in a sting operation and shot through the chest in the desert near Sahuarita. A year later, he was run over by gangsters in a getaway car.

Just like those safeties who failed to jar Dobyns with vicious tackles, the criminals could not stop him.

“Getting cheered by 80,000 football fans was an incredible feeling,” Dobyns writes in his New York Times best-seller, NO ANGEL: My Harrowing Undercover Journey To the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels. “But it didn’t even register when compared to the rush of walking the line between life and death when no one was watching.”

He gained international notoriety after he infiltrated the Hells Angels motorcycle club from 2001 to 2003. Dobyns was offered membership to the Hells Angels after faking the murder of a rival gang member and providing the fabricated evidence of the murder to Hells Angels leaders, convincing them of his credibility. Dobyns spent the majority of his ATF career working in varied assignments developing undercover expertise in violent crime investigation, narcotics, firearms, gang infiltrations, home invasion robbery cases, and murder-for-hire investigations.

Jay Dobyns holds up the shirt he wore when he was shot at point-blank range on only his fourth day as a federal agent (Picture courtesy JayDobyns.com)

He was an undercover agent in more than 500 operations and won 12 ATF “Special Act” awards for investigative excellence. In 2004, the National Association of Police Officers presented Dobyns the “Top Cop” award after his infiltration of Hell’s Angels that resulted in 43 felony arrests.

His tough-guy image with the shaved head, goatee and tattoos is a far cry from his surfer look while at Arizona.

“I kind of fell in love with my props,” Dobyns told Newsweek in a 2009 interview. “It became who I was. … (I miss) the rush of riding in a pack of gangsters at 85 miles per hour, only 18 inches apart. That’s a rush that even catching a pass in front of 70,000 people in a stadium can’t match.”

Dobyns, 50, is still affiliated with the ATF. He conducts motivational speeches as owner and representative of Jay Dobyns Group, LLC. He also serves as an assistant coach for the Salpointe Catholic football program.

When Lute Olson coached the UA men’s basketball team, he invited Dobyns to speak to his players.

“Jay Dobyns has spoken to my team and his message is inspirational,” Olson is quoted as saying by Dobyns’ Web site. “Our kids absolutely loved him. They thought he was one of the best speakers they have heard in all their years at the University of Arizona.

“His story is one of courage and heroism. You will be on the edge of your seats when you listen to Jay speak.”

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)

The Los Angeles Times headline makes it seem USC's uninspired play resulted in Arizona's upset of the No. 1 Trojans in 1981. Some members of that Arizona team insist they had something to do with the Trojans' demise (click on photo for enlarge)

Think Arizona does not stand a chance against No. 1 Oregon in Autzen Stadium on Friday?

Try telling that to the 1981 edition of the Wildcats, who did the unthinkable: Upset No. 1 USC and Marcus Allen at the Coliseum after trailing 10-0 in the second quarter. The Cats rallied to win 13-10 on Oct. 10, 1981, behind sophomore quarterback Tom Tunnicliffe‘s 293 yards passing and a defense that yielded only 297 yards in total offense, 186 yards under the Trojans’ average.

“We were not afraid or not intimidated by USC,” an emphatic Randy Robbins, a sophomore defensive back with that team, indicated to me this week.

The 1981 team coached by the late Larry Smith – the only team in school history to beat a No. 1-ranked team on the road — and the current group of players and coaches are probably the only people who believe a win is achievable Friday. Other than that, the bandwagon is pretty bare, abandoned by most Arizona fans who cringe at the thought of the beleaguered Cats facing the high-octane Oregon offense after looking pedestrian in consecutive defeats to Stanford and USC.

“We’ve been underdogs since the start of the season,” Arizona cornerback Robert Golden said after the Wildcats lost to USC 24-21 on Nov. 13. “That’s OK. Let people think that way.”

The best way to channel that us-against-the-world mentality? Free-spirited Jay Dobyns, a freshman wide receiver in 1981, has a unique suggestion for the Cats.

“Play like wild men,” Dobyns told me this week when asked what he would tell the current Cats if he had the chance to address the team before the game.

“You wanna be the champ? Then you gotta knock out the guy with the belt. So punch him in the head as hard as you can as many times as possible and live with what happens.”

Dobyns, a former undercover agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, has no fear. He has been shot in the back at point-blank range and he infiltrated the Hell’s Angels.

Beating Oregon on the road is tame compared to that.

Former All-Pac-10 defensive back Randy Robbins with his son Josh (a freshman safety with the Cats) and wife Tracy (Robbins photo)

The most significant similarity between Arizona’s encounter with USC 29 years ago and the Wildcats’ game with Oregon: Both will have faced Heisman Trophy-caliber running backs (Allen and Oregon’s LaMichael James).

Despite the loss to the Wildcats, Allen gained 211 yards rushing, including a 74-yard touchdown sprint during USC’s first possession. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy that season. James leads the nation in rushing yards per game (158.0) and rushing touchdowns (17). He is in the running for the Heisman and the Doak Walker award for the nation’s best running back.

The most noteworthy difference between the 1981 game against USC and Friday’s meeting with Oregon: Arizona (2-2 heading into the 1981 game) had the momentum of winning consecutive games against Fullerton State and John Elway‘s Stanford team before traveling to L.A. The game was also played relatively early in the season in front of a subdued L.A. Coliseum crowd. Only 56,315 showed up at the 93,607-seat venue.

Allen was ho-hum after the game with the media, saying, “Things like this happen and the sun will come up tomorrow.” Oregon is showing much more of a sense of urgency with the season winding down. The Ducks can sniff a spot in the BCS championship game.

Autzen Stadium will be packed and the crowd noise will be at a high-decibel level.

Sounds like a daunting task, downright impossible for the struggling Cats. Try telling that to the 1981 edition of the Wildcats, who realized playing at No. 1 and trailing by 10 early is an obstacle not too difficult to bear, no matter the circumstance. Here are some some comments from members of the 1981 team in relation to the UA’s task of duplicating their feat:

Randy Robbins

Then: Sophomore defensive back
Now: Pinal County project administrator in Casa Grande
What do you remember the most of the week leading up to the USC game (was there ever any doubts going in)?
Why I remember everyone — media, etc. — saying for the week was how invincible USC was compared to everyone they had played so far to date. As players, we were such a young group as a whole. We were kind of oblivious as to what the stakes were about this game. We felt that no one was giving us a chance in this game, however as players we were not afraid or not intimidated by USC. They were going to get our best effort as players. (That’s) what we decided as a team.

At what point in the game did you think that an upset could happen?
About in the middle of the third quarter in my mind is when I thought we had them. Other than Marcus Allen’s 74-yard TD run on their first offensive (series), they couldn’t do anything against our defense. USC was pretty much one dimensional that year. And our offense was starting to figure out ways to attack their defense and be successful.

If you could stand in front of this year’s team and address them before the Oregon game, what advice would you give them regarding your experience against USC in 1981?
I would tell them to keep playing every play. Oregon is going to have some success, but so are we. And expect to have success in the game. Ultimately, this game is about making plays. Pull the trigger and let the chips fall and sort themselves out.

How does the victory over the Trojans rate in your Arizona career?
This was in the top three victories in my career:
1. The ASU game my senior year (won by Arizona 17-15 in 1983).
2. USC game my sophomore year.
3. Notre Dame game my junior year (won by Arizona 16-13 in 1982).

We were not to be intimidated at all going into the game. -- Mark Walczak, freshman tight end in 1981

Mark Walczak

Then: Freshman tight end
Now: Owner/broker Arizona Real Estate Advisers in Scottsdale
What do you remember the most of the week leading up to the USC game (was there ever any doubts going in)?
We were a very talented and confident team in ’81. We all knew we had a huge challenge in front of us, but we were not to be intimidated at all going into the game. USC was a incredibly talented team with the likes Marcus Allen and Ronnie Lott. We were a bit shaken when Marcus Allen broke off a touchdown run to go up 7-0. But our defense got tough and and the offense made things happen.

At what point in the game did you think that an upset could happen?
By half we knew we knew that we could beat them if we played hard and mistake-free and we did.

If you could stand in front of this year’s team and address them before the Oregon game, what advice would you give them regarding your experience against USC in 1981?
I would tell our team to play hard, play smart and play with confidence and swagger. Stay together and believe in each other.

How does the victory over the Trojans rate in your Arizona career?
That victory over USC was one of the most remorable I had at the U of A. When you stand your ground and go toe to toe with the best and succeed it is always the time that a teams feels at its best! And we did.

Steve Boadway

Then: Freshman linebacker/special teams
Now: Principal at Mt. Elden Middle School in Flagstaff
What do you remember the most of the week leading up to the USC game (was there ever any doubts going in)?
Fortunately, Arizona always played up to their opponents. I remember as a freshman playing against Marcus Allen and Chip Banks, and, of course, the No. 1 team in the Coliseum. The team was pumped.

At what point in the game did you think that an upset could happen?
Probably at halftime I realized that this just might happen. We were playing well on defense except for the first (series) from scrimmage which resulted in a touchdown run by Marcus but we soon found ourselves in the game.

If you could stand in front of this year’s team and address them before the Oregon game, what advice would you give them regarding your experience against USC in 1981?
My advice: Play like it’s your last game. They can be beat as was the case versus Cal (in which Oregon escaped with a 15-13 victory in Berkeley on Nov. 13). Most importantly, have fun with the moment. Also, they do remember last year’s game (won by the Ducks 44-41 in double overtime). They should want to redeem themselves on that loss.

How does the victory over the Trojans rate in your Arizona career?
Aside from the Notre Dame victory and the ASU upset in ’82, it’s one of the biggest upsets.

You wanna be the champ? Then you gotta knock out the guy with the belt. -- Jay Dobyns, freshman wide receiver in 1981

Jay Dobyns

Then: Freshman wide receiver
Now: Motivational speaker in Tucson/former agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

What do you remember the most of the week leading up to the USC game (was there ever any doubts going in)?
How many chances in your lifetime do you get to take a crack at No. 1 in anything? And Marcus was the front runner for the Heisman.
At what point in the game did you think that an upset could happen?
Tunnicliffe just seemed to get hot. Brad Anderson, Mark Keel and Kevin Ward were making big catches and you could feel it. Tom (from Burbank, Calif.) always played great against the LA schools.

If you could stand in front of this year’s team and address them before the Oregon game, what advice would you give them regarding your experience against USC in 1981?
You have absolutely nothing to lose so just let it all out. Take risks. Be reckless. Play like wild men. You wanna be the champ? Then you gotta knock out the guy with the belt. So punch him in the head as hard as you can as many times as possible and live with what happens.

How does the victory over the Trojans rate in your Arizona career?
All the wins over ASU are ahead and beating Notre Dame in South Bend still wins out.

Former Arizona cornerback Greg Turner (No. 40), shown here closing in on USC's Marcus Allen, keeps this press clipping handy to relive the memories of upsetting the top-ranked Trojans (Turner photo)

Greg Turner

Then: Freshman defensive back
Now: Football training consultant for Hitman Sports

What do you remember the most of the week leading up to the USC game (was there ever any doubts going in)?

You had better get your sleep the night before the game, because the day of, there will be no sleep. There’s no question in our minds that we could stop USC.

At what point in the game did you think that an upset could happen?

When our defense was stingy all game against the run, with the exception of one big gain by Marcus Allen when he scampered for 74 yards on a student–body left. After that, we put the clamps on their (behinds).

If you could stand in front of this year’s team and address them before the Oregon game, what advice would you give them regarding your experience against USC in 1981?

Leave the nervous bug at door and eliminate your mental errors. It’s crucial because when you step in between those lines we are all equally matched. War is on, and if you can take it to them every play for four quarters you will be victorious.

How does the victory over the Trojans rate in your Arizona career?

Right at the top. We played against a Hall of Fame running back in his prime in Marcus Allen and we pretty much shut the run down that Saturday afternoon against the No. 1 USC Trojans.

John Robinson came into our locker room after the game to personally congratulate each player and coach. It was a very special experience. -- Jeff Kiewel, junior offensive tackle in 1981

Jeff Kiewel

Then:Junior offensive tackle
Now:Manager of John Deere Golf sales division

What do you remember the most of the week leading up to the USC game (was there ever any doubts going in)?

We were pretty loose going into the USC game that year. We were playing pretty well and had developed a personality of a “Giant Killer”. We had a close team that had learned to count on each other. We were focsued on executing our strengths.

At what point in the game did you think that an upset could happen?

We never had a doubt that we could beat USC that year. It was almost like we knew it would happen if we played hard and together. That said, I don’t think I ever stopped fighting to win until the last play.

How does the victory over the Trojans rate in your Arizona career?

The USC victory was the highlight of my team experience as a Wildcat. We really played for each other that day. In fact, John Robinson came into our locker room after the game to personally congratulate each player and coach. It was a very special experience.

Julius Holt

Julius Holt (center) with former UA teammates Ricky Hunley (left) and Nils Fox during a reunion last year at Arizona Stadium (Holt photo)

Then: Junior linebacker
Now: Outreach academic counselor at Arizona

What do you remember the most of the week leading up to the USC game (was there ever any doubts going in)?

I remember Coach Smith saying, “Sixty men together on the same page can’t lose.”

At what point in the game did you think that an upset could happen?

When they were forced to start throwing the ball. The USC offensive line was built to run the ball. Marcus Allen had a goof game, but he was getting hit hard and often.

If you could stand in front of this year’s team and address them before the Oregon game, what advice would you give them regarding your experience against USC in 1981?

I would share a message my son gave to his Senior Midget State Champion team this past weekend: “Team Work Makes The Dream Work”.

How does the victory over the Trojans rate in your Arizona career?

I learned you only get one chance to beat a No. 1 team. It was better and more meaningful than beating Notre Dame. Larry Smith made us believe we could win. A lesson I use every day in my life today: Believe. Thanks Coach andy my former teamates.