Bold predictions for Cincinnati Bearcats in Mountain time at Arizona

By the end of this season, of all the recent additions to the Big 12 in football, the Cincinnati Bearcats will have played more games across two time zones than any team.

Since starting Big 12 play in 2023, the Oct. 3 game between UC and Arizona will be their fourth foray from Eastern time to Mountain time. By the regular season finale at BYU Nov. 28, it will be five games in four seasons.

BYU and UCF will have crossed two time zones four times in four years by the end of 2026, with Utah and Arizona having done it three times in three years. Arizona State and Colorado will have done it twice in three seasons.

West Virginia, which joined the Big 12 in 2012, will also have crossed two time zones four times in the past four seasons.

"I think the league, it's something they should look at as we move forward," UC Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said. "It's unusual for guys in a short period of time to have to play at those crazy times."

Satterfield also made note that after Arizona plays UC, they go to Morgantown to play West Virginia on Oct. 10 with a noon kickoff (9 a.m. Mountain Standard Time in Tucson).

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How Cincinnati Bearcats have played in Mountain time

On Scott Satterfield's watch, they've lost 35-27 at BYU in 2023, 34-23 at Colorado in 2023 and last season at Utah post-ESPN GameDay, 45-14. In Pacific time, UC went out west to UCLA and defeated the Bruins 26-17 in the 2018 opener in Luke Fickell's second season.

3 bold predictions for Cincinnati Bearcats at Arizona Wildcats

1. Cincinnati Bearcats will again surpass 200 yards on ground

UC ran with a purpose against Kansas State after being held to 137 yards by Miami's stuffing of the box in the Victory Bell game. Arizona has a top run defense, allowing just 80 yards per game, but UC's averaging 270. Something has to give in the trenches, and Coach Nic Cardwell's offensive linemen have been playing with supreme confidence. Having two backs exceed 100 yards seems to be a winning recipe for the line.

Running back Cole Tabb has six touchdowns in the last two games, and Gi'Bran Payne has three 100-plus-yard games.

"The run game's going to open up the pass game," UC quarterback JC French IV said. "It feels like each game it's somebody's turn to show out. It's been his the past couple of games."

2. Cincinnati Bearcats QB JC French IV will throw for more than 200 yards

French has gone over 200 yards twice this season, with a high of 309 against the Miami RedHawks. He's had his share of 200- and 300-yard games in his college career and will likely have some downfield presence in this one if the Bearcats are to have a chance. If wide receivers JV Gibson and Malachi Henry can get loose, that will help, or he may have to spray the ball to the running backs and hope for yardage. Either way, a one-dimensional offense might be tough against these Wildcats.

3. Arizona QB Noah Fifita will be sacked, intercepted, yet still win

Fifita has been sacked 11 times and was dumped four times by last year's UC defense, which didn't attack as much as Coach Nate Woody's scheme. UC has already surpassed last year's interception mark with three and Fifita is due to toss one as he's only been picked twice in four games.

For UC to have a puncher's chance, they'll have to make plays on the elusive 5-foot-10 quarterback who was as effective as anyone the Bearcats played last season.

"He can run," Satterfield said. "There's several times where they've covered guys and he's taken off for first downs. I think Fifita is a true passing quarterback. If he had his 'druthers,' he'd rather sit in that pocket and throw the ball down the field all day long. He's so good at doing that."

What Arizona coach Brent Brennan said about Cincinnati Bearcats

In his weekly press conference, Brennan referred to the UC contest as a "wear white" game and told the city of Tucson, "they needed them." It is a Family Weekend game and also a Pacific Islander Heritage game, as Arizona has 20 Polynesian players on the roster. Casino Del Sol seats 50,000, with attendance for Arizona's first two home games just above 40,000. For Arizona fans, they have lost the last six Family Weekend games.

"I expect us to have an incredible crowd on Saturday night," Brennan said. "It's so important the impact our fans, our students, our community has on the outcome. That is part of us doing this together: the impact the crowd can have when they come into Casino Del Sol Stadium. New sound; the lights have been really cool with the Fourth Quarter Code Red. It's a great thing trying to enhance fan engagement and experience. We need everybody to show up."

Arizona's Brent Brennan on Scott Satterfield, UC football

"They have an excellent offense," Brennan said. "They've been running the ball basically at will. It'll be an incredible challenge for our defense. Defensively, they're extremely opportunistic, high-pressure, playing out of an odd front. It's a Big 12 challenge for us coming off last weekend, but I'm optimistic we're going to have a great show from the city of Tucson."

Predictions for Cincinnati Bearcats at Arizona Wildcats

Arizona Republic – Arizona 33-30

Dimers – Arizona 31-24

Heartland College Sports – Arizona 38-27

Enquirer prediction for Cincinnati Bearcats at Arizona Wildcats

In August, in my game-by-game predictions, this was the first loss, 28-17. The Bearcats should be able to run the ball, but if they can't solve Fifita, which not many can, they're going to have a tough go of it in the secondary. Turnovers could flip the game, but the time change and a worthy opponent were difficult last season. I don't expect a Utah-like blowout, and I think UC can score more than originally thought, but I'm going 28-24 Arizona.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bold predictions for Cincinnati Bearcats in Mountain time at Arizona

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