Arizona players reveal what fueled 34-7 rout of previously unbeaten Cincinnati

The Arizona Wildcats won their first home game of conference play on Saturday night, blasting the previously undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats, 34-7, behind an outstanding run game and key stops defensively.

Arizona (4-1, 1-1 in Big 12) executed its game plan flawlessly, completely shutting down Cincinnati's dominant run game while themselves pounding the ball on the ground to the tune of a season-high 238 rushing yards.

Even with three crucial wide receivers all suffering injuries in the first quarter, Arizona found ways to win - with key reserves stepping up and making plays, and the steady veteran presence of star quarterback Noah Fifita, who quietly controlled this game from the opening drive.

Wide receiver Brandon Phelps, who had two catches for 36 yards and a touchdown, and linebacker Chase Kennedy - who had a team-high seven tackles and one tackle for loss - spoke to the media after the game to discuss the team's performance and how they continue to battle adversity:

Phelps on the receivers stepping up after injuries

"That's just something that we always talk about during the week is just being prepared and knowing the plays and there wasn't any shock...we're all prepared and we're all ready to go and it's just the next man up mentality."

Kennedy on Arizona's run defense

"The game plan was really just to be physical and violent in everything we do, every moment, every slant, every blitz, and that was really all it was honestly, just play within the scheme. Coach Gonzales always tells us that it's the players who make the plays so we just go out there, try to execute to the best of our abilities, just be really physical. That was the game plan."

"We knew they came into the game averaging around 270 rushing yards a game, and so the goal was to keep them under 100 and we knew we had a great chance to win if we did that. Once we stop the run we knew everything was going to be in our hands."

Phelps on Arizona's running game

"They do what they do. They are some of the hardest hitting people on our team. They execute every single thing with violence. They even got a shirt that's talking about waking up and choosing violence. You see K (Reescano) run, you see Quincy (Craig) run. If I played defense I would not want to be in front of that. They are great leaders on our team and it shows every single game."

On stepping up when guys get injured

Phelps: "We got resilience man. I love this team. I love Tucson. I love this team. And that's Arizona football right there. We go through adversity and we just come out with resilience. And like coach says, every single day we got red line."

Kennedy: "We have a great next man up mentality because we know that whoever's in the game, we have to be able to trust that they know what to do and how to do it. I think we talk about response a lot within the program and so that's just what we do."

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