To a man, every Arizona player and coach believes Tetairoa McMillan is the best wide receiver in the country. He’s officially no worse that Top 3.
The junior is one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, given to college football’s top pass catcher. The other two finalists are Colorado’s Travis Hunter and San Jose State’s Nick Nash.
McMillan, who is expected to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft after Saturday’s Territorial Cup, is third in FBS with 1,251 receiving yards and last week became Arizona’s career receiving leader with 3,355 yards. He passed his position coach, Bobby Wade, who had 3,351 yards from 1999-2002.
“Satisfying for sure, something that was a goal that we set earlier this year when I first got here,” Wade said of McMillan’s record. “I don’t make a lot of promises as a coach, but that was one that I promised him that we’d get done.”
McMillan is Arizona’s first finalist for the Biletnikoff, which will announce its winner Dec. 12 at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show in Orlando. Also being announced that night is the Lou Groza Award, given to college football’s top placekicker, but somehow Tyler Loop was not a finalist.
The UA senior is 18 of 22 on field goals this season, making 13 from 40-plus yards including a school-record 62-yarder against Houston on Nov. 15. One of the finalists, Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald, has only attempted 13 field goals.
“That’s not in my control,” Loop said of the award snub. “It’s one of those things that’s like, yeah, it’s cool to win, or it’s cool to be recognized for that, but the body of work that I’ve accumulated in college, all the process that I’ve gone through in college, I feel has set me up well for the next level, and that’s really important. I’ve been able to do some awesome things here at Arizona.”
Loop is second in school history with 67 field goals and third in scoring (326 points). He was trying to become Arizona’s second Groza winner, following Steve McLaughlin in 1994.
Territorial Cup memories
This will be the fifth Territorial Cup for Loop, one of five remaining players from the 2020 team including center Josh Baker, offensive lineman Leif Magnuson, tight end Roberto Miranda and defensive back Treydan Stukes. That group is 2-2 and trying to give Arizona its first 3-game win streak in the series since 1993-95.
Stukes is the only member of that group to grow up in Arizona, but over time the out-of-state Wildcats have quickly learned how big a deal the rivalry is to people in this state.
“I grew up in Texas, I thought the most bitter, like big time rivalry was always Texas vs. A&M,” Loop said. “And then I got out here and was like ooh, this one’s bitter, and it’s hate-filled, and it’s a big deal for both schools. It’s about pride. It’s about honor. Records kind of got a window with this one.”
This will be the 16th Territorial Cup for defensive coordinator Duane Akina, who is in his second year of his second stint with Arizona after being with the Wildcats from 1987-2000. He is 9-5-1 against ASU.
Akina has been a part of some of the most well-known rivalry games, including the Red River Shootout (Oklahoma/Texas) and Big Game (Cal/Stanford), but he believes the Territorial Cup stands out because of the “real hate between the universities” that he’s witnessed firsthand.
“It’s personal, is what I’ve found in the game between these two universities,” he said. “I’ve seen some interesting games …since I’ve been here. When I used to talk to (former UA coach) Jim Young, who was part of some great football games, and he kind of felt the same way that I did. He still said the Army/Navy game is still the best rivalry he’s been involved, but he feels the same way that I did about this game, too, which I found was interesting because he was part of the Michigan/Ohio State games, too.”
It will be Wade’s seventh Territorial Cup, third as a coach, and he’s been on both sides. The previous two seasons he was an analyst with the Sun Devils, giving him a unique perspective of the rivalry.
“I’m grateful for my time at ASU, obviously, because it was getting my first coaching opportunity,” he said. “I think anybody that knows me knows that I wanted to come here first. I tried to come here, tried to be on a couple staff prior, it just wasn’t available. Wasn’t my time. I’m grateful for the opportunity that Herm Edwards gave me. Those really give me an opportunity to start my career there.”
