Whitewashed
The Arizona Wildcats wore white helmets Wednesday for the first time since 2003.
After Nebraska's blowout win, the question is will the Cats dare to don them again?
One of Mike Stoops' first acts as UA head coach was to scrap the team's white helmets in favor of blue ones, which they have worn since 2004.
The Wildcats' old white helmets featured red and blue stripes down the middle and blue facemasks. Wednesday's version did not have any stripes, and featured white facemasks.
The UA teamed the helmet with white jerseys and white pants, plus the team's standard red cold-weather socks. For the first time under Stoops, the team wore white and red shoes.
The Riddell Revolution Speed helmets retail for $238.99 apiece.
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We liked the look, but question using them against the Cornhuskers, who wore red jerseys, white pants and white helmets.
The similar looks made the Holiday Bowl look like a Nebraska spring game.
The big number
827 - All-time wins by Nebraska, fourth-most in the nation.
Crowd count
By the start of the fourth quarter, rain and a blowout game conspired to chase most of the fans from the upper deck of Qualcomm Stadium.
Attendance for the game, at least earlier, was remarkable.
The Holiday Bowl drew 64,607 fans, a sellout and the third-largest crowd in the history of the game. In 2005, the Oklahoma-Oregon game drew 65,416 fans; in 1998, the UA-Nebraska matchup attracted 65,354 fans. The Holiday Bowl has been a sellout in six of the past seven years.
Aerosmith?
We've always thought it was funny that the Pride of Arizona refers to itself, self-mockingly, as the greatest band in the history of the world. But, with all due respect to Steven Tyler, we have to debate one point.
Introducing the band's halftime performance, the Pride of Arizona announcer called Aerosmith the greatest rock band of all time. Yeah. Really?
The Pride of Arizona then played "Eat the Rich," a mildly memorable song from Aerosmith's "Get a Grip" album.
The ensuing halftime fireworks show, featuring a "Love" theme, was spectacular. By that point, it was the probably the highlight of the game for UA fans.
By the numbers
1Finish, in the Wiener Nationals wiener dog race, by Sully from San Clemente, Calif. The dachshund was honored in the first quarter.
Sideline
Former UA coach Dick Tomey stood on the Cats' sideline - wearing a jacket with a UA logo on it. He was joined by San Diego Chargers cornerback Antoine Cason, who helped host a party downtown at the Hard Rock Hotel on Tuesday night, and College Football Hall of Famer Ricky Hunley, a former UA linebacker.
Last game
Jim Livengood watched his final Arizona Wildcats football game from a luxury box Wednesday, two weeks to the day after accepting the same position at UNLV.
Livengood, who last week hired Montana coach Bobby Hauck to take over the UNLV football program, spent the last three days at official events in San Diego. Livengood sat on the dais at the USS Makin Island on Monday and at the Holiday Bowl Kickoff Luncheon on Tuesday.
Swag
Arizona and Nebraska players will take home gifts from the bowl game, a recurring trend around the nation and legal under NCAA rules. Players here received a Flo TV personal television - which retails for about $250- and a year-long service subscription. They also got a Best Buy gift card, a Tourneau watch and a Sports Tek hooded sweatshirt and cap.
