Worst loss in UA history

UALoco · Post by **UALoco** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:31 pm

Arizona Football's loss after having a 19 point lead in the 4th against its rival got me thinking. What is the worst loss in UA history across all sports? It has to be either this or the 2005 AZ bball loss to Illinois in the Elite 8. Discuss and provide any context as to why the loss is the worst to you.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:37 pm

Crazy shit happens in rivalry games. The ASU game was certainly a bad loss and a complete team / coaching choke job but nothing comes close to the Illinois game. We had another Final 4 locked up.... and then.... I still don't know what happened and I've never re-watched that game.

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 5:18 pm

I re-watched in my nightmares. Please don't talk about it.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 5:22 pm

The Santa Clara loss was particularly brutal.

PHXCATS · Post by **PHXCATS** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 5:23 pm

At least you all were not at the Illinois game like me

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 5:31 pm

For all sports the Illini loss is the worst. For me, the worst football loss was the Pigskin Classic v. PSU. Tomey decided it was too hard recruiting and although he had some skill players he didn't have any depth. So Tomey decided to forego tackling in practice to minimize injuries.

So the UA defense thought they could just put a shoulder into the PSU ball carrier and they would go down. But of course they just bounced off and went downfield.

That was the point that the UA proved they couldn't play with the big boys any more.

That Illini game upset me more and for longer than any sporting event outside of the 1972 US USSR Olympic basketball game

MrMeow · Post by **MrMeow** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 7:30 pm

The Illinois loss was one to remember, but the 2001 finals loss to Duke stands out for me. I will forever HATE Duke and that fucking rat face, cry baby coach K. Fuck Duke - forever.

sf25 · Post by **sf25** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 7:40 pm

PHXCATS wrote:At least you all were not at the Illinois game like me

Sadly I was in attendance as well. Fun trip before that day.

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:42 pm

1988, UNLV beats us on that dagger 3 when Lofton fell trying to draw a charge. You could have heard a pin drop in Tucson.

Sean Elliott last game and we lost to Tark. I can't even think of a football loss as bad. The worst football loss was actually UCLA losing to Miami for us

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:59 pm

azcat49 wrote:1988, UNLV beats us on that dagger 3 when Lofton fell trying to draw a charge.

Well, flop more than fell. Lute was not too happy about it.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 9:09 pm

Football penn st 1999. We still haven’t recovered from that debacle.
Basketball duke 2001. Lutes second national championship taken away by 5 on 8.

Illinois was self inflicted. It hurt but we did it to ourselves. I am going to my grave believe that our rightful 2001 trophy is usurped and sitting in Durham. That I can’t get over.

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 9:21 pm

That Battier put-back dunk. FMTT

Main Event · Post by **Main Event** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 9:37 pm

Illinois took a piece of me that I'll never get back

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Thu Nov 29, 2018 9:55 pm

Told the story a million times but Illinois will haunt me till the grave. Freshman year in the dorms and we were running up and down the halls whooping it up that we get to experience a final 4 as lowly freshmen. It was so exhilarating. Then...it happened.

Irish27 · Post by **Irish27** » Fri Nov 30, 2018 3:20 pm

It's not even close. The 2005 Illinois loss is by far the worst loss. I really believe that team would of won the Final Four. They were really starting to click.

The worst loss for me in football was the 1993 Cal loss. Blowing a 20-0 halftime lead and losing 24-20. The Cats would of played in the Rose Bowl that year if they had beaten Cal. One more thing, that unsportsmanlike penalty on Vaughn in the closing minute of the game was so BS.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Fri Nov 30, 2018 3:41 pm

CalStateTempe wrote: Basketball duke 2001. Lutes second national championship taken away by 5 on 8.

Distant #2 for me after the Illini loss. Loved UA paying Duke back some since then, but you can never pay back Illinois no matter how often you beat them.

Sports Illustrated even wrote an article on the home cooking Duke received that day, along with their win over Maryland.

Gilbert Arenas was hurt too, and no one could stop Mike Dunleavy.

Not a foul on Battier:

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Fri Nov 30, 2018 3:43 pm

Merkin wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote: Basketball duke 2001. Lutes second national championship taken away by 5 on 8.
Distant #2 for me after the Illini loss. Loved UA paying Duke back some since then, but you can never pay back Illinois no matter how often you beat them.

Sports Illustrated even wrote an article on the home cooking Duke received that day, along with their win over Maryland.

Gilbert Arenas was hurt too, and no one could stop Mike Dunleavy.

Not a foul on Battier:

You're right... because that is Jason Williams!

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Fri Nov 30, 2018 3:54 pm

Alieberman wrote:You're right... because that is Jason Williams!

Oh. Never mind.

Irish27 · Post by **Irish27** » Fri Nov 30, 2018 7:39 pm

Merkin wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote: Basketball duke 2001. Lutes second national championship taken away by 5 on 8.
Distant #2 for me after the Illini loss. Loved UA paying Duke back some since then, but you can never pay back Illinois no matter how often you beat them.

Sports Illustrated even wrote an article on the home cooking Duke received that day, along with their win over Maryland.

Gilbert Arenas was hurt too, and no one could stop Mike Dunleavy.

Not a foul on Battier:

Besides Gilbert being hurt, Walton was playing with a broken thumb.

UALoco · Post by **UALoco** » Fri Nov 30, 2018 10:26 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:Told the story a million times but Illinois will haunt me till the grave. Freshman year in the dorms and we were running up and down the halls whooping it up that we get to experience a final 4 as lowly freshmen. It was so exhilarating. Then...it happened.

So you are admitting you rushed the field as a student...just it was in the dorms before the end of that bball game...

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Sat Dec 01, 2018 7:29 am

Irish27 wrote:It's not even close. The 2005 Illinois loss is by far the worst loss. I really believe that team would of won the Final Four. They were really starting to click.

The worst loss for me in football was the 1993 Cal loss. Blowing a 20-0 halftime lead and losing 24-20. The Cats would of played in the Rose Bowl that year if they had beaten Cal. One more thing, that unsportsmanlike penalty on Vaughn in the closing minute of the game was so BS.

I'd probably have to go with that '93 loss to Cal as the worst ever (PF call was total BS), followed by 2009 (UO extra point in OT that hit the crossbar and went over still hurts). Both costing us Rose Bowls.
One I'm surprised no one mentioned was 1992 loss to ASU 7-6. Desert Swarm era. ASU only crossed midfield once, on a 51-yard run by Kevin Galbreath, and we still lost.

For me in basketball 1989 was pretty close to 2005. I had tickets for the Sweet Sixteen in Denver if we beat UNLV. Sean's last game.

I don't count 2001 as one of the worst losses. To me, that game was stolen from us, between Michigan State injuring Gilbert on a hard foul to the refs in the championship game. Lute deserved that game for Bobbi and it was taken from him.

Also surprised no one mentioned the baseball loss to Coastal Carolina. Win the first game, then lose two one run games, one after a rain delay that had to be played during the day while most of us were at work or school. Pretty much as close as you can come to winning your 5th National Championship without winning it. Two runs in scoring position in the 9th but your backup freshman catcher has to bat because the starting catcher got concussed by one of CC's players.

Newportcat · Post by **Newportcat** » Mon Dec 17, 2018 8:23 am

I am not sure how anyone can say that 2005 loss was not the most painful loss ever.

I have still never been back to the bar I watched it at

My goal is still to donate enough money to U of A to force them to take down the elite 8 banner in mckale. I throw up every time I look up and see the numbers 2005.

TheCat · Post by **TheCat** » Sat Sep 07, 2019 5:11 pm

What most people forget is that we were a decided underdog in that Illini game. We played perfect basketball for 80% of the game. Momentum swung and we could not get it back. Refs also swallowed their whistle. Painful.

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Sat Sep 07, 2019 6:09 pm

TheCat wrote:What most people forget is that we were a decided underdog in that Illini game. We played perfect basketball for 80% of the game. Momentum swung and we could not get it back. Refs also swallowed their whistle. Painful.

I thought the home loss to Wazzu that year was the most embarrassing, and one of the worst under-performances ever....

ByJoveByJingle · Post by **ByJoveByJingle** » Fri Sep 20, 2019 9:54 am

I hate all of you for creating and/or seducing me into opening this thread.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Fri Sep 20, 2019 8:08 pm

After the Illinois loss, I spent 10 years on the campus of University of Illinois surrounded constantly by a sea of orange, hoping it would numb me.

Ever bit a canker sore into painful submission? It hurts worse while it's bleeding between your teeth, but the idea is to frontload the hurt.

It doesn't work. It only makes it worse.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Fri Sep 20, 2019 11:35 pm

Longhorned wrote:After the Illinois loss, I spent 10 years on the campus of University of Illinois surrounded constantly by a sea of orange, hoping it would numb me.

Ever bit a canker sore into painful submission? It hurts worse while it's bleeding between your teeth, but the idea is to frontload the hurt.

It doesn't work. It only makes it worse.

This is a beautiful and highly relevant post

TheCat · Post by **TheCat** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 4:29 pm

Most people obviously say Illinois but what most folks forget was they were the favorites in that game and Ariz played the best I can ever remember for 32 minutes. Heartbreaking loss but if I'm not wrong they were undefeated at the time or maybe 1 or 2 losses.

legallykenny · Post by **legallykenny** » Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:17 pm

If we're going to include the stolen 2001 BB title, then we should include the Tonya Harding game too.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:50 pm

legallykenny wrote:If we're going to include the stolen 2001 BB title, then we should include the Tonya Harding game too.

UCLA had to vacate that title, but with all vacates, the other team was not given the win.

legallykenny · Post by **legallykenny** » Mon Dec 23, 2019 3:11 pm

Merkin wrote:
legallykenny wrote:If we're going to include the stolen 2001 BB title, then we should include the Tonya Harding game too.
UCLA had to vacate that title, but with all vacates, the other team was not given the win.

Correct. UCLA's ineligible and clearly mercenary player stole what should have been our title. Without her on the mound, I don't think UCLA beats us.

ALASKACAT · Post by **ALASKACAT** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 4:00 am

I always thought that Tonya Harding was a figure skater.

wyo-cat · Post by **wyo-cat** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 9:22 am

ALASKACAT wrote:I always thought that Tonya Harding was a figure skater.

She was also a professional softball pitcher who pitched for UCLA.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Sat Dec 28, 2019 9:06 pm

The UCLA pro was Tanya

wyo-cat · Post by **wyo-cat** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 10:17 am

Merkin wrote:The UCLA pro was Tanya

Whatever, fuck her and UCLA. That season is a gap on the wall of straight championships at Hillenbrand Stadium.

Carcassdragger · Post by **Carcassdragger** » Tue Jan 28, 2020 2:40 pm

The one that stuck with me for a long time was one of the greatest football games I've ever seen live. I don't recall the exact year but I think it was 83 or 84. Tunnicliffe was our QB. USC in Arizona stadium with a full house. Both teams were punching and counter-punching all night. USC got up on us 48-41 but we were driving with time running out. With almost no time on the clock, we got hit with something like 30 or 40 yards in penalties all at once. Game over. Just a crushing result.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:58 am

Carcassdragger · Post by **Carcassdragger** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 2:43 pm

Chicat wrote: ↑Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:58 am

Goddamn it. ESPN Game Day was in Tucson that morning also.

I remember a thread here the next day that was titled, "Dear Idiots" reminding our fan base not to embarrass us by coming out of the stands early before the game was decided.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 3:11 pm

Ah yes, UA up 24-14 early 4Q and Stoops goes into a prevent defense.

Carcassdragger · Post by **Carcassdragger** » Sat Dec 12, 2020 11:55 am

The worst ever. This pathetic football program lost last night to ASSU. ......ASSU!!!!!! 70 to 7.

Holy shit we suck.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Sat Dec 12, 2020 12:56 pm

This was the most pathetic loss of all time in UofA history.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Sat Dec 12, 2020 1:16 pm

Definitely the most embarrassing loss ever, along with the most embarrassing program in UA history. 120 years, and the worst prior team was a 1 win team in 1957.

Login • Register