No. 24 Wildcats to Host Horned Frogs on Friday Night

Arizona Athletics

11/2/2026

TUCSON, Ariz. — No. 24 Arizona (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) will welcome TCU (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) to Casino Del Sol Stadium on Friday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. MST in Tucson.

Friday's game will be televised on ESPN with Anish Shroff, Andre Ware, and Morgan Uber on the call. It will also be broadcast live on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM with play-by-play from Brian Jeffries.

This will be the fourth meeting all-time between the programs and second matchup since Arizona joined the Big 12 in 2024.

For more news and notes on Saturday's game, continue below.

Watch on ESPN

Listen on Wildcats Radio 1290

Live Stats

Game Notes

Arizona Notes & Numbers

The No. 24 Arizona Wildcats return to Tucson for the first of two consecutive home games at Casino Del Sol Stadium, the first coming this Friday against the TCU Horned Frogs.
Friday’s game will be nationally televised on ESPN with Anish Shroff (PxP), Andre Ware (Analyst), and Morgan Uber (Reporter) on the call.
The game will also be broadcast live on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM and KHYT 107.5 FM with play-by-play from the Voice of the Wildcats, Brian Jeffries. He is joined on the call by analyst Lamont Lovett and reporter Mackenzie Hamilton.
Arizona and TCU have met three times previously, with games dating back to 1999 and the Horned Frogs holding a 2-1 edge in the all-time series.
The only previous meeting in Tucson in the series between Arizona and TCU came in 2023, with the Horned Frogs beating the Wildcats, 13-10.
QB Noah Fifita has thrown for 92 touchdowns and 11,664 yards in his collegiate career, marks that both rank first among active FBS quarterbacks.
With a win this week, the Wildcats would secure a winning regular season record for a second straight year, a feat last accomplished in 2013 & 2014.
WR Isaiah Mizell has recorded three straight 100-yard receiving performances. Over that three-game stretch, Mizell has pulled in 21 receptions for 499 yards and four touchdowns.

FANS WEAR WHITE

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vs TCU

Nov 6, 2026 at 8:15 PM MST

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SOME GAME THEMES: The No. 24 Arizona Wildcats return to Tucson for the first of two consecutive home games at Casino Del Sol Stadium, the first coming this Friday against the TCU Horned Frogs...Friday’s game will be nationally televised on ESPN with Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Morgan Uber (reporter) on the call...The game will also be broadcast live on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM and KHYT 107.5 FM with play-by-play from the Voice of the Wildcats, Brian Jeffries; he is joined on the call by analyst Lamont Lovett and reporter Mackenzie Hamilton...Arizona and TCU have met three times previously, with games dating back to 1999 and the Horned Frogs holding a 2-1 edge in the all-time series...The only previous meeting in Tucson in the series between Arizona and TCU came in 2023, with the Horned Frogs beating the Wildcats, 13-10...The Wildcats have won six straight home games at Casino Del Sol Stadium, dating back to Nov. 8, 2025.

LAST TIME OUT: The Wildcats had their five-game win streak snapped with a 34-26 loss at No. 13 Texas Tech last weekend. QB Noah Fifita and WR Isaiah Mizell led the Wildcats passing attack, while RB Kedrick Reescano paced the ground effort with a pair of rushing touchdowns. More highlights from the Cats last game include...

Notable Postgame Notes vs. Texas Tech

The Wildcats 429 yards of offense are their most in regulation against a Top 15 team since going for 436 yards in a win at #9 UCLA in 2022.
QB Noah Fifita’s 94-yard touchdown strike to Isaiah Mizell in the second quarter was the longest pass of his career.
- It was the longest pass play for Arizona since Brandon Dawkins completed a 95-yard pass to Trey Griffey against ASU on Nov. 21, 2015.
Mizell is the first player since Tetairoa McMillan in 2023 to have three consecutive games with at least 100 receiving yards and one touchdown. They are the only two Wildcats in the past 10 years to complete the feat.
The Arizona defense matched their season high with five pass breakups (also: at Washington State, vs. Northern Arizona).

POLL POSITION:

Following their 34-26 loss at Texas Tech, the Arizona Wildcats moved down two spots in the AP Top 25 poll to No. 24.
Arizona has earned a spot in the AP Top 25 in each of the last four seasons. The last time the Wildcats were ranked in four consecutive seasons was 1992–95.
Since 1968, the Wildcats have played 147 games while ranked in the AP Top 25 and have posted a 94-52-1 (.643) record in those games.
When ranked and playing at home, Arizona has posted an all-time record of 54-19 (.740).

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN: QB Noah Fifita and WR Isaiah Mizell connected on a 94-yard touchdown strike at Texas Tech, marking the longest pass of Fifita’s career and the longest passing play for Arizona since 2015. Across the entirety of Arizona’s program history, the Wildcats have logged just eight pass plays of 90+ yards.

BOWL BOUND: With their win over Iowa State two weeks ago, the Wildcats are now bowl eligible for the second time under head coach Brent Brennan. This marks the first time that Arizona is bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons since 2014 & 2015. The Wildcats have played in 23 bowl games in program history, with a record 10-12-1 in those games. Arizona’s most recent bowl appearance was in the 2025 Trust & Will Holiday Bowl in a matchup against the SMU Mustangs. Arizona remains tied to the Pac-12 legacy bowl affiliations: Alamo Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Sun Bowl, and Independence Bowl. After those selections have been exhausted, they are eligible for Big 12 affiliated bowls: Pop-Tarts Bowl, Texas Bowl, Liberty Bowl, and Cactus Bowl.

AIR STRIKE: Wide receiver Isaiah Mizell has strung together three consecutive 100-yard receiving performances, making him one of just two Arizona receivers in the last decade to accomplish the feat (also: Tetairoa McMillan in 2023). He has also scored at least one touchdown in each of his last three games. Over that stretch, Mizell has accounted for 499 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

NOAH'S ARC: Fifth year quarterback Noah Fifita, one of just five senior/redshirt senior quarterbacks in FBS who spent their entire career at the same school, returned under center to lead the Wildcats offense one final time in 2026. Since taking over the starting quarterback role in 2023, Fifita has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest passers in program history. The California native is the program’s all-time leader in career passing yards and passing touchdowns — with only eight games in the books, he stands to widen the gap in both categories significantly. Fifita broke the Wildcats career passing touchdowns record with a 15-yard strike to Gio Richardson at Cincinnati on Nov. 15, 2025 and broke the program’s career passing yards record on a seven-yard throw to Isaiah Mizell on Sept. 19, 2026 vs. Northern Illinois. He has posted a record of 26-16 as the Wildcats starting quarterback and has logged 42 consecutive starts under center dating back to 2023. His 26 wins as Arizona’s starting quarterback are the most in program history.

CODE RED: Arizona’s defense has been stifling when it matters the most this season: when opposing offenses reach the red zone. The Wildcats have allowed their opponents into the red zone just 20 times in seven games and have allowed scores on just 14-of-20 opportunities. Arizona’s 70.0% mark in red zone defense is the seventh best mark in the FBS and the fourth best in the Power Four. This marks a drastic improvement over the Wildcats defensive efforts in the red zone last season, when they allowed opponents to convert 30-of-36 (83.3%) red zone trips into scores.

SACK ATTACK: Arizona’s defense has tallied multiple sacks in 5-of-8 games this season, including two six-sack performances against Northern Arizona and Washington State. In total, the Wildcats have dropped opposing quarterbacks for 25 sacks, an average of 3.13 sacks per game that is the 10th best mark in the FBS. The production has come from all over the field as well, with 17 different players getting in on the action. Arizona’s current sack leader, LB Chase Kennedy, already has six sacks this year. His six sacks are the most by an Arizona player since Taylor Upshaw had 8.5 sacks in 2023.

GOOSE EGGS: Since taking over as the Wildcats defensive coordinator in 2025, Danny Gonzales has authored an incredible defensive turnaround that includes eight halves and 32 quarters of shutout defense over 21 games. Across those 21 games, 32-of-84 quarters (including two OT periods) have featured a zero in the opponents side of the box score — that amounts to nearly 40% of quarters being scoreless for the Wildcats opponents. To close out the 2025 season, the Arizona defense worked second half shutouts in three consecutive games against Baylor, Arizona State, and SMU in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl.

THROWING DARTS: Quarterback Noah Fifita's pinpoint accuracy has continued to blossom throughout his career, to the point which he currently ranks second among all FBS quarterbacks with a 74.1% completion percentage. After his 31-for-34 (91.2%) performance in week three against Northern Illinois and his 24-for-26 (92.3%) effort at Houston last season, Fifita now owns the program’s single-game completion percentage records for games with a minimum of 20 and 30 pass completions.

THIRD AND WON: The Wildcats offense has excelled on third down this season, converting at a 52.4% clip that ranks seventh among all 138 FBS programs. Four of the top 10 teams in the FBS in third down conversion percentage are Big 12 Conference members. Last season, the Wildcats converted just 41.0% of their third downs.

TRIPLE HUNDO: Since 1996, eight different Arizona quarterbacks have posted multiple 300-plus yard passing performances. With his 417-yard effort in week nine against West Virginia, Noah Fifita now boasts 13 such performances, the second most in that span. Leading the way is Nick Foles, with a seemingly insurmountable tally of 18 games surpassing 300 yards.

HOUSE CALL: In week three against Northern Illinois, freshman wide receiver Caleb Smith returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown, making him the first Wildcat to score a punt return touchdown in nine years. Since 2008, the Wildcats have combined for eight punt return touchdowns, only two of which have been longer than Smith’s.

GOING NOWHERE FAST: Since 1996, Arizona defenses have limited an opposing offense to negative rush yards just four times. Northern Arizona’s -7 rushing yards in week one were the least allowed by the Wildcats defense since holding No. 22 USC to –20 rush yards in 1999. Across 122 seasons of Arizona Football history, the least rushing yards ever allowed in a game were –33 at Stanford in 1992 (28 attempts).

CHART TOPPERS: Arizona has seven players that rank among the Top 10 graded returning players in the Big 12 Conference, per PFF. The group is led by safety Cam Chapa, who was rated as the No. 1 returning safety in the Big 12. Cornerback Jay’Vion Cole (2nd), tight end Cole Rusk (2nd), and quarterback Noah Fifita (3rd) also checked in among the top three at their positions.

Arizona Players in the PFF's Big 12 Top 10

OL Tristan Bounds
- Big 12 Rank: 9th
- 2025 Grade: 72.3
LB Taye Brown
- Big 12 Rank: 7th
- 2025 grade: 75.9
S Cam Chapa
- Big 12 Rank: 1st
- 2025 grade: 91.4
CB Jay'Vion Cole
- Big 12 Rank: 2nd
- 2025 grade: 86.3
QB Noah Fifita
- Big 12 Rank: 3rd
- 2025 grade: 85.1
RB Kedrick Reescano
- Big 12 Rank: 10th
- 2025 grade: 76.1
TE Cole Rusk
- Big 12 Rank: 2nd
- 2025 grade: 79.2

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BROTHERLY LOVE: Arizona's roster features three sets of brothers: Noah & Dash Fifita, Tré & Kingston Spivey, and Jake & Jaxon Griffin. The Wildcats are one of 15 FBS programs with multiple sets of brothers on their roster, and one of 10 with three or more sets of brothers. Oregon leads the nation with four sets of brothers.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY: The Wildcats are banking on consistency of leadership delivering results for the team in 2026. Following a nine-win campaign last year, Arizona retained their head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators, and starting quarterback — they are one of only 12 FBS programs in the nation that can claim that. With that level of consistency of leadership, the Wildcats are among the top 8% in the FBS.

CASINO DEL SOL STADIUM: Last November, the University of Arizona and Casino Del Sol, an enterprise of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, announced a landmark 20-year naming rights agreement for Arizona Stadium valued at more than $60 million, the largest such agreement in Big 12 Conference history. Under the partnership, the venue will be known as Casino Del Sol Stadium. The naming partnership includes new exterior and interior branding, field logos, and digital platforms, along with expanded integration into national television broadcasts. The collaboration prioritizes the roles the U of A – as Arizona's flagship, land-grant university – and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe have in benefiting students, families, and communities across Southern Arizona. Through new programs and co-created initiatives, the partnership will deepen academic, cultural, and economic links between the university and the tribe.

WILDCATS IN THE NFL: The Arizona Wildcats are once again well represented in the NFL, with 14 players currently sprinkled throughout league rosters. Among the many highlights achieved by Wildcats in the NFL are the tremendous exploits of Tetairoa McMillan, one of the most accomplished wide receivers in program history and a first round draft selection of the Carolina Panthers in 2025. McMillan burst onto the scene as a rookie last year, pulling in 70 receptions for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns en route to being named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year, and PFWA Rookie of the Year. In the 2026 NFL Draft, the Wildcats had four defensive backs selected, tying the NFL record for number of DBs drafted from a single program in a draft.