Arizona heads into the Holiday Bowl with a shot at history - and a chance to put a definitive stamp on one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football this season. A win over SMU on Friday would give the Wildcats their 10th victory of the year, a milestone that’s only been reached four times in the program’s long and often winding journey.
That number - 10 wins - doesn’t just look good in the record books. It’s a benchmark that signals a team didn’t just have a good year; it had a special one.
For Arizona, it would be more than just a nice round number. It would be a nod to legacy, a statement that the Wildcats are not only back - they’re building something real under Brent Brennan, and fast.
Let’s take a step back and look at what 10 wins has meant in Tucson over the years. You don’t have to go far into the archives before you bump into the name Dick Tomey.
In 1993, Tomey’s squad became the first Arizona team to hit double-digit wins, powered by the now-legendary “Desert Swarm” defense. That group didn't just win - it dominated, capping the season with a 29-0 shutout of No.
10 Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. That game didn’t just put Arizona on the national radar; it helped define the program’s identity: gritty, underestimated, and relentless.
Five years later, Tomey’s 1998 team went even further. That squad finished 12-1, still the best mark in school history.
They came heartbreakingly close to a Rose Bowl berth, falling just short against UCLA, but bounced back to beat Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. That win sealed what many still consider the greatest season Arizona football has ever had.
But after that historic run, the Wildcats struggled to recapture that same magic. The post-Tomey years under John Mackovic and Mike Stoops had their moments, but the next 10-win season wouldn’t come until 2014 under Rich Rodriguez.
That year felt electric - a season full of late-game heroics and dramatic comebacks. From a Hail Mary win over Cal to a last-second field goal to beat Washington, to a shocking upset of Oregon in Eugene, Arizona rode that momentum all the way to the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Oregon got its revenge there, and Boise State edged the Wildcats in the Fiesta Bowl, but the 10-win mark was reached once again.
Fast forward to 2023, and Jedd Fisch engineered another memorable campaign. Arizona closed the season on a six-game win streak and capped it with a 38-24 comeback win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl. That victory made it four total 10-win seasons in program history - and it brought a sense of belief back to Tucson.
Now here we are again. Another Holiday Bowl.
Another shot at 10 wins. Another chance to join that exclusive club.
But if history tells us anything, it’s that following up a 10-win season has been a challenge for Arizona. After the 1993 breakthrough, the Wildcats went 8-4 the next year and lost their bowl game.
Following the record-setting 1998 campaign, they stumbled to a 6-6 finish. Even after the magic of 2014, the next year brought another 6-6 record - though that team did manage to win its bowl and finish above .500.
And then there’s the more recent past. The 2024 season was, frankly, a disappointment.
Expectations were sky-high after the Alamo Bowl win, but things didn’t go according to plan. That’s part of what makes this current run so intriguing - it wasn’t supposed to happen this quickly.
Yet here they are, with a chance to finish with 10 wins and rewrite the narrative once again.
The immediate focus, of course, is SMU. But there’s a bigger picture at play.
A win in the Holiday Bowl doesn’t just close out a successful season - it sets the tone for what’s next. Arizona is moving into a new era in the Big 12, and if they can follow this up with another strong campaign - even something in the eight-win range - it could signal that the Wildcats are ready to be a consistent force, not just a once-in-a-decade story.
A 10-win season would mean more fans in the stands at Casino Del Sol Stadium. It would mean more attention from top-tier recruits. It would mean national buzz - the kind that doesn’t just fade away when the season ends.
This isn’t just about one game. It’s about momentum, legacy, and the chance to turn a great season into the foundation for something even bigger.
Arizona has been here before. Now the question is: can they take the next step and finally build something that lasts?
Friday’s game might not answer that question entirely - but it could be the spark that lights the way.