This week, for the first time in 32 years, Arizona football will wear red helmets and the Wildcats are excited.

UA will debut the helmets this week for a “red out” against ASU.

“I love them,” sophomore running back Ka’Deem Carey said. “I think it’s a great thing that we get to wear them out there against ASU. It brings that much more to the rivalry.”

During previous red outs, the Wildcats have worn red jerseys and red pants, but with white or blue helmets. UA last wore red helmets during then-head coach Larry Smith’s first season in 1980.

“Oh man, these are nice,” senior quarterback Matt Scott said. “I was hoping we’d get them. I wasn’t sure if we were. They were trying to keep it a secret but I’m excited.”

In 1981, Arizona switched to white helmets with the block “A,” a look the team essentially kept from 1981 to 2004. Arizona did change logos in 1990, from the ‘80s thick, red block “A” that looked like the same font as Michigan’s “M” to the current block “A.”

Arizona previously wore red helmets from 1967 to 1972 and 1977 to 1980.

“They look pretty good with our uniforms and we’re doing a red out, so they should look pretty nice with the whole stadium red,” said senior fullback/defensive lineman Taimi Tutogi. “It’s going to be a pretty tough environment for the Sun Devils to play in.”

In 2004, the UA introduced blue helmets when Mike Stoops became head coach. In 2009, Arizona used more than one helmet during a season for the first time, wearing a white helmet without stripes, for the Holiday Bowl.

The next season, white helmets with stripes entered the UA’s uniform rotation.

On Sept. 29, against Oregon State, Arizona wore copper helmets for the first time.

Arizona is 14-7-1 in white helmets against ASU, 1-9 in red helmets and 3-3 in blue helmets.