1980 Arizona Wildcats football team

1980 Arizona Wildcats football
ConferencePacific-10 Conference
Record5–6 (3–4 Pac-10)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorSteve Axman (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorMoe Ankney (1st season)
CaptainHubie Oliver
Home stadiumArizona Stadium
1980 Pacific-10 Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 16 Washington $ 6 1 09 3 0
No. 13 UCLA 5 2 09 2 0
No. 11 USC 4 2 18 2 1
Arizona State 5 3 07 4 0
Oregon 4 3 16 3 2
Stanford 3 4 06 5 0
Arizona 3 4 05 6 0
Washington State 3 4 04 7 0
California 3 5 03 8 0
Oregon State 0 8 00 11 0
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1980 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their first season under head coach Larry Smith, the Wildcats compiled a 5–6 record (3–4 against Pac-10 opponents), finished in a tie for sixth place in the Pac-10, and were outscored by their opponents, 275 to 215. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.

Despite finishing the season with a 5–6 record, the Wildcats defeated UCLA (who was ranked second at the time), which would become the first of several signature moments during Smith's tenure with the program.

The team's statistical leaders included Tom Tunnicliffe with 1,204 passing yards, Hubert Oliver with 655 rushing yards, and Tim Holmes with 545 receiving yards. Linebacker Jack Housley led the team with 104 total tackles.