How to watch Arizona vs. Cincinnati: TV channel, live stream, start time
In this story:
The Arizona Wildcats will host the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday in the first matchup between the two programs in Tucson, and just the second ever after last year's 30-24 win for Arizona in Cincinnati.
Arizona (3-1, 0-1 in Big 12) is looking to avoid a 0-2 start in conference play, which has not happened since 2021, while the Bearcats are hoping to stay undefeated after what has been a very nice 4-0 start to the season.
Cincinnati is 1-0 in league play after a 31-26 win over Kansas State in Week 4, once again picking up a victory thanks to their completely dominant ground attack - a major area of concern for the Wildcats in this one.
Arizona faces a major test against Cincinnati’s run game
Cincinnati is seventh in the country with 1,080 rushing yards on the season, with West Virginia and UCLA the only power conference teams ahead of them heading into Week 5.
Notre Dame transfer Gi'Bran Payne (368 yards, two touchdowns) and Stanford transfer Cole Tabb (311 yards, 11.1 yards per carry) have formed an absolutely dominant tandem in the backfield, and the dominant run game has allowed Cincinnati to play extremely efficiently all season long - with just two lost fumbles and zero other turnovers on the year.
Arizona will have to stuff the run and force Bearcats quarterback JC French into mistakes on Saturday, otherwise Cincinnati will dominate time of possession and could ultimately secure a fifth straight victory while sending the Wildcats to a disastrous 0-2 start in Big 12 play.
Can Arizona capitalize on Cincinnati’s first road game?
Cincinnati's 4-0 start has come entirely at home, which should work in Arizona's favor. Not only are the Bearcats making their first road trip of the season, but they are also coming out west for a very late 8:00 PM PT kickoff, where they will hopefully meet a rowdy Zona Zoo crowd.
French transferred from Georgia State, and a truly hostile road environment could get the super efficient quarterback rattled - while Arizona's defense has started to come around as of late, particularly in the secondary.
The Wildcats have come out of the gate very slowly the past few games, something they must avoid on Saturday to avoid giving the Bearcats early momentum on the road. An early lead for Cincinnati means even more running of the football, something the Wildcats have to try to avoid at all costs.
Below is a look at how to watch, stream, and listen to Arizona take on Cincinnati this Saturday in Tucson:
How to watch Arizona vs. Cincinnati
Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
Game time: 8:00 PM PT
Where: Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, AZ)
How to listen: Wildcats Radio 1290 AM
How to stream: Sling.tv
How to watch: FOX
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Andy Patton is a college basketball writer with deep ties to both Gonzaga and Arizona. A Gonzaga alumnus who graduated in 2013, he has hosted the Locked On Zags podcast covering Gonzaga basketball since 2021 and has co-hosted the Locked On College Basketball podcast since 2022. His years covering the Bulldogs have also given him extensive familiarity with Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who spent more than two decades on Mark Few’s staff at Gonzaga before taking over the Wildcats in 2021. Andy has worked in sports media since 2017, with experience covering nearly every major sport. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for USA TODAY from 2017–21, where he also spent time covering the USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks, and previously served as lead writer for College Sports Wire. He has also covered the NBA, NHL and MLB for various TEGNA outlets, including KREM in Spokane, 12News in Phoenix and KING 5 in Seattle. Andy now lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife, daughter and dog.
Follow AndyPattonCBB