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.

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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. 37 as the kickoff to the Wildcats’ season — and the start of the Rich Rodriguez era — is only 37 days away.

SCORE: USC Trojans 48, Arizona Wildcats 41

DATE: Nov. 13, 1982

SITE: Arizona Stadium, 55,110 in attendance

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: Although it was a loss for Arizona, this game not only merits a ranking, it has to be considered one of the most exciting games to be played at Arizona Stadium. Think of it this way: How many games have four interceptions returned for a touchdown? USC had three of them off UA quarterback Tom Tunnicliffe, tying an NCAA record. Tunnicliffe still managed to pass for 303 yards and three touchdowns in the wild game that gave the Wildcats the distinction at the time for having the most points for a losing team in Pac-10 history.

The game also had postseason implications for Arizona, which was 5-2-1 and on a four-game winning streak — started with a 16-13 win at No. 9 Notre Dame. USC, 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the conference after the win, was ineligible for postseason play because it was in the first year of a two-year NCAA probation for recruiting violations. The loss to the Trojans followed by an upset 13-7 defeat at previously winless Oregon the following week effectively knocked Arizona out of a potential bowl.

The 48-41 loss to USC also featured four lost fumbles by the Trojans — three in the first quarter — and an interception for a return for a touchdown — also in the first quarter — by Arizona linebacker Steve Boadway. The Wildcats mustered only a 13-3 lead after those four USC miscues, settling for field goals of 19 and 26 yards by Max Zendejas (who also missed from 43 yards). USC’s defense, which ranked in the top five of most of the major national defensive categories, held firm.

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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. 46 as the kickoff to the Wildcats’ season — and the start of the Rich Rodriguez era — is only 46 days away.

SCORE: Arizona Wildcats 16, Arizona State Sun Devils 10

DATE: Nov. 24, 1984

SITE: Arizona Stadium, 58,132 in attendance, second largest in school history at that time

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: “The Streak” — Arizona’s nine-game unbeaten run against arch-rival ASU from 1982 to 1990 — is an entity of its own. Therefore, all the games incorporated with “The Streak” deserve to be ranked. The 1984 victory for Arizona was not one over a very good ASU team — the Sun Devils finished 5-6 with their first losing season since 1976 — but conversely, the Wildcats (7-4 overall) had their best finish in Pac-10 history with a 5-2 record, tied for third with UCLA. Arizona was unable to participate in a bowl game, as it completed a two-year NCAA probation that season because of recruiting violations prior to the Larry Smith regime.

Max Zendejas, Sun Devil Killer No. 1, kicked three field goals, including a 52-yarder. Arizona linebacker Craig Vesling intercepted the third Jeff Van Raaphorst pass of the fourth quarter with 1:25 remaining to ice the game. Fellow linebacker Steve Boadway, who led the Pac-10 with 13 sacks in 1984, jarred the ball loose from Van Raaphorst, whose arm was in passing motion, and Vesling snared it before it hit the ground.

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