SAN DIEGO - The Arizona Wildcats arrived at the 1998 Holiday Bowl armed with a mantra: Not today.
"Coach (Dick) Tomey told us, 'Every time you see the 'N' on Nebraska's helmets, or see somebody wearing Nebraska stuff, don't think 'Nebraska.' Think 'not today,' " former Wildcat Brandon Nash said. "I still think about that when I see Nebraska."
The Wildcats responded by defeating the Cornhuskers 23-20 in what remains one of the program's defining moments.
This year's team has adopted a similar philosophy, even if it lacks the zip of a Tomey-ism.
Coach Mike Stoops spoke to his team this week about Nebraska's legacy as a football power, but urged the Wildcats to be fearless.
The UA and Nebraska will cross paths for the first time today at Sea World, then play Wednesday night at Qualcomm Stadium.
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"We're playing a storied program that's accomplished a great deal, but we're in 2009. This is a time, again, that's different," Stoops said. "I don't think players at this age now are in awe of anything, really. It's just the mindset of these young guys. They like to compete against a lot of people. They're used to it."
The Wildcats are no strangers to big-time games.
Arizona (8-4) finished its regular season with victories at Arizona State and USC. Eight of its 11 regular-season opponents qualified for bowl games.
Senior safety Cam Nelson said Nebraska's reputation "doesn't matter to us."
"We can't say it's just any other game, because it's not. It's a big-time bowl game," he said. "We know they're kind of a status program, so we do feel like, if we beat them, it'll kinda help us out."
Tomey, a master motivator, frequently gave his players T-shirts adorned with slogans ranging from obscure ("Burn the Boats") to straight ahead ("Finish It").
"Not Today" became a rallying cry leading up to the Holiday Bowl, former quarterback Keith Smith said, and pushed the team throughout a tough game.
"You'd say, 'Not today. It's not going to happen,' " Smith said. "It spread throughout the team and, before you knew it, we were dancing on the field. We were like, 'We told you. We told everybody. Not today.' "
Smith and Nash said they would like to see the old slogan dusted off for Wednesday's encounter.
"It's classic. It fits the game," Smith said. "I feel like this Arizona-Nebraska game is turning into some kind of great rivalry."
