University of Arizona
4-1 , 1-1
Cincinnati
4-1 , 1-1
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Arizona | 7 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 34 |
Fifita accounts for 3 TDs, Arizona shuts down Cincinnati for 34-7 win
10/04/2026 | Football
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Noah Fifita threw for 284 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, and Arizona shut down Cincinnati for a 35-7 win on Saturday night.
The Wildcats pulled it out behind a balanced offense and a defense that shut down one of the nation's top rushing teams.
"We have resilience," Arizona receiver Brandon Phelps said. "That's Arizona football right there: we face adversity and come out with resiliency."
Fifita threw for two touchdowns, ran for another and Arizona had 238 yards rushing.
Arizona held the Bearcats to 74 yards rushing — 196 below their season average — and outgained Cincinnati 522-227 total yards.
"We knew they wanted to run the ball," Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. "We said no, we're not going to let you do that."
Cincinnati had some chances despite being limited to 106 first-half yards.
Stephan Rusnak clanged a 53-yard field goal off the right upright in the first quarter after Fifita threw an interception at the Arizona 32-yard line. Cincinnati also failed on fourth-and-goal from the 2 in the second quarter when Kellen Davis couldn't come down with a high throw at the edge of the end zone.
"We've always we've been aggressive," Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said. "I mean, the ball's on a 2-yard line. We feel confident we can we can punch the ball in and just wasn't able to do it."
Arizona moved quickly on its opening drive with the help of Cincinnati's poor tackling, scoring on Kedrick Reescano's 10-yard run. Michael Salgado-Medina's 23-yard field goal on the final play of the first half gave Arizona a 10-0 lead.
Fifita opened the second half with an 8-yard TD on a draw, set up by Antwan Roberts' 58-yard run. Roberts fumbled at Cincinnati's 12, but Arizona retained possession when Bearcats' linebacker Antwan Peek Jr. illegally swatted the ball through the back of the end zone.
Fifita hit Phelps on a 24-yard touchdown pass and Tyler Powell on a five-yard score to put Arizona up 34-0 before Cincinnati scored a late touchdown.
The takeaway
Cincinnati: The Bearcats rallied from 10-point deficits to win their previous two games. Cincinnati had little chance of making it three straight against Arizona's stifling defense.
Arizona: The Wildcats were shorthanded before the game began and it only got worse, yet they found a way to pull out a win that could push them into the AP Top 25.
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
CIN 0, ARI 7
ARI - Reescano,Kedrick 10 yd run (Salgado-Medina,Michael kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:38
CIN 0, ARI 10
ARI - Salgado-Medina,Michael 23 yd field goal 16 plays, 92 yards, TOP 05:48
CIN 0, ARI 17
ARI - Fifita,Noah 8 yd run (Salgado-Medina,Michael kick), 7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 03:38
CIN 0, ARI 24
ARI - Phelps,Brandon 24 yd pass from Fifita,Noah (Salgado-Medina,Michael kick) 6 plays, 68 yards, TOP 02:26
CIN 0, ARI 27
ARI - Salgado-Medina,Michael 35 yd field goal 10 plays, 52 yards, TOP 04:41
CIN 0, ARI 34
ARI - Powell,Tyler 5 yd pass from Fifita,Noah (Salgado-Medina,Michael kick) 13 plays, 71 yards, TOP 06:06
CIN 7, ARI 34
CIN - French IV,JC 2 yd run (Rusnak,Stephen kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:25
