Next goal for UC Bearcats football is stopping Arizona's Noah Fifita

The month of October brings the first out-of-state venture for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats football team when it is to face Arizona.

The Bearcats have an 11 p.m. (Eastern) kickoff with the Wildcats (8 p.m. Mountain Standard Time), making it the latest kickoff they've had since Brian Kelly's 'Cats went to Hawaii for an 11:30 p.m. start at Aloha Stadium in 2008.

The teams have met just once, last November at Nippert Stadium. UC quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw an interception on the first play of the game and eventually threw another as Arizona knocked off the Bearcats 30-24. Sorsby was limited to 154 yards passing, while Arizona's Noah Fifita was 23-of-31 for 294 yards and a touchdown.

He was able to scramble enough to make plays, even though he was sacked four times. It would be the second of five straight losses for the Bearcats, with four of those coming in November. By UC's FedEx Liberty Bowl appearance, Sorsby was headed to Texas Tech.

Arizona finished 9-4, winning its last five games before falling to SMU in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl in San Diego. At Big 12 Media Day in July in Frisco, Texas, Arizona officials handed out "Fifita for Heisman" brochures.

"If it happens, it happens," Fifita said. "To be able to make that happen, you've got to have a great team. We expect the atmosphere to be electric this year (at Casino Del Sol Stadium). At the end of the day, the University of Arizona wants a good football team. We've been labeled as a basketball school for as long as I remember. We want to give them something to cheer about."

This season, Fifita has 1,131 passing yards for 11 touchdowns with two interceptions. He's run for 86 yards and two scores and has a 172.5 rating, his career-high.

"He's so smart in deciphering defenses, seeing what they're doing to him and being able to make the throws and plays," UC head coach Scott Satterfield said. "He's fun to watch, unless you've got to play him."

UC's JC French IV has 796 passing yards for six touchdowns and no interceptions. He's run for 164 yards and four scores with a rating of 167, also a career-high. He's thrown as many as 43 passes against Miami University and as few as 13 last weekend vs. Kansas State.

"During preparation, you kind of have an understanding of what kind of week it's going to be just based on their defense," French said.

By ground or air, French is 4-0 for the first time in his college career, just as Coach Satterfield is in his head coaching career.

Mountain time game means Cincinnati Bearcats will arrive earlier

Bypassing the standard routine of leaving after practice on Friday, the Bearcats will practice Thursday on campus, then board the plane for Tucson. They'll have a practice somewhere in Arizona Friday, then try to be ready for an 8 p.m. Mountain Standard Time kickoff at Casino Del Sol Stadium, which is 11 p.m. in Cincinnati.

"We anticipated playing late; that's what they do to us," Satterfield said. "Our guys have done a great job of approaching this week and giving us a chance to play great."

Satterfield thinks the Big 12 should look at such demanding kickoffs with teams traveling two time zones. The Bearcats will have another such trip Nov. 28 at BYU. On Arizona's end, their next game is at West Virginia on Oct. 10 with a noon (Eastern) start, which is 9 a.m. breakfast time in Tucson.

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Cincinnati Bearcats get votes in poll, national recognition

At 4-0, the Bearcats received 20 votes in the Associated Press poll and 35 in the AFCA Coaches poll. BYU, Texas Tech, Utah and Houston are all Top 25 teams ahead on UC's schedule. Arizona has eight votes in AP and three in the coaches poll.

Pro Football Network ranks UC right tackle Judea Milon at No. 2 at his position with a 95.7 rating, running back Cole Tabb at No. 3 and two others, receiver JV Gibson (No. 23) and nose tackle Josh Hough (No. 11), in the top 25 at their positions.

In national offensive line rankings, PFN has UC at No. 16, oddly behind Kansas State even though the Bearcats outrushed K-State's Wildcats 271-155.

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Cincinnati Bearcats at Arizona Wildcats scouting report

Why Cincinnati Bearcats have an advantage: The Bearcats have momentum at 4-0 and they just defeated a quarterback who had given them fits in the past, Kansas State's Avery Johnson. Fifita got the Bearcats last season, but was helped by Sorsby's costly interceptions. The Bearcats are likely to be run-heavy again to try to keep him off the field. Arizona has only outrushed its first opponent, Northern Arizona.

"We want to be able to do whatever the defense allows us to do," Satterfield said. "If they're trying to stop the run, then we've got to hit some balls down the field. If guys are soft or loose a little bit, we have to be able to run the football."

Satterfield pointed out UC was running heavily before French hit Malachi Henry on a post for their first score against Kansas State.

UC sacked Arizona's Fifita four times last season and he's gone down 11 times this season to just five for JC French. In their lone loss to BYU, the Cougars held them scoreless in the second half. Against Northern Illinois, the Huskies led 10-0 after a quarter until Arizona stormed back for a 42-17 win. At Washington State, they trailed 17-14 at halftime, but won 34-27. For what it's worth, Kansas State beat that same Washington State team 34-7, albeit at home.

UC's defense is on a turnover pace ahead of last season's, and against Fifita, those will be critical. French has yet to throw an interception, while Fifita has thrown a pair. Going over 200 yards rushing should be a good sign, but Arizona does have the No. 13 rushing defense in the country.

"They jump the front," Satterfield said. "There's a lot of movement, a lot of stunts with linebackers flying around and D-linemen looping around. They can stunt themselves into a tackle for loss. They have some great quickness up front."

Why Arizona Wildcats have an advantage: They are at Casino Del Sol Stadium and the Bearcats will be playing two time zones away, with festivities starting when some in the Tri-State are tuning in to the 11 o'clock news. But Arizona came East last season and won, so anything is possible.

"In the Big 12, game after game you play a bunch of good coaches and good players," Satterfield said. "Arizona certainly has that. Fifita is probably the best quarterback nobody ever talks about around the country."

Arizona is 2-0 at home this season and was 6-1 last season, with the one loss coming Oct. 11, 2025, in double overtime, 33-27 to then-No. 18 BYU. The Cougars also prevailed in Provo 28-17 to give the Wildcats their lone loss. Arizona led 17-14 at halftime, then didn't score again. BYU picked off Fifita once and sacked him three times, while their quarterback, Bear Bachmeier, threw three touchdown passes.

Arizona's 6-foot-4 receiver Tré Spivey is a weapon to watch with 19 catches for 278 yards and four touchdowns. The forecasted high temperature for Oct. 3 is 93 degrees, but the late kickoff should provide some comfort with temperatures in the low-to-mid-70s.

Cincinnati Bearcats at Arizona Wildcats injury report

Against Kansas State, UC linebacker Filip Maciorowski was a game-time decision. He wound up playing and Pro Football Network graded him as having his best game, with a rating of 87.3. The Big 12 initial injury report list comes out Sept. 30 and is updated until game day.

Cincinnati Bearcats at Arizona Wildcats odds, moneyline

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sports Network)

• Moneyline: UC +205, Arizona -255
• Spread: -7.5 Arizona
• Over/under: 54.5

Big 12 road wins for Cincinnati Bearcats

Under Scott Satterfield, UC won at Houston in 2023, at UCF in 2024 and at Kansas and Oklahoma State last season. The win over the Cowboys in Stillwater was their last Big 12 road triumph, 49-17 on Oct. 18, 2025. That win made the Bearcats bowl-eligible for the first time since 2022.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Next goal for UC Bearcats football is stopping Arizona's Noah Fifita

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