Position Battles to Watch for Arizona vs Cincinnati
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Arizona earned bowl eligibility last week against Kansas in comeback fashion. Several times this season, the Wildcats have struggled to close out wins or finish close games, and they finally pulled through against the Jayhawks.
Brent Brennan has now strung together consecutive wins against the Big 12 for the first time as Arizona's coach, with a road win at Colorado preceding last week's victory over Kansas.
Now, his Wildcats get a big test on the road at No. 25 Cincinnati, the longest trip on the schedule. The Bearcats are 7-2 with losses to Utah and Nebraska out of conference.
The Bearcats are hoping to remain in contention for the Big 12 title game with a win. They are currently tied with BYU for second place in the conference.
Both teams have plenty of talent and lots of scoring potential. Noah Fifita just needs one touchdown pass to become Arizona's new all-time leader in touchdown passes, passing both Willie Tuitama and Nick Foles.
Brendan Sorsby has been key to the Cincinnati attack, throwing for 2,064 yards, 21 TDs and two interceptions with 453 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. Sorsby's 29 total touchdowns are the second most for any player nationally, trailing only Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (31).
Several factors could tilt this game in either direction. Here are a few matchups to keep an eye on this Saturday.
Arizona's Offensive Line vs Cincinnati's Defensive Line
Here's the bad news: Arizona's pass protection has not been great all season. The Wildcats have allowed 24 sacks, third most in the Big 12, and it could be more if Fifita didn't pull a few escape acts every weekend.
The good news: pressure is not Cincinnati's game. The Bearcats have 16 sacks, 12th in the Big 12. They also have just a 22.8% pressure rate, which is among the lowest in the country this season.
Long story short, the Bearcats will need to blitz to really make Fifita uncomfortable, and that's not how they play. Cincinnati plays a ton of zone defense, which means Fifita will need some time to find throwing windows, but the coverage will be consistent.
Arizona can be confident in its matchups in one-on-one pass rushes and run blocking schemes. Tristan Bounds has been fantastic on the right side in protection, while Ka'ena Decambra has been a space creator in the run game.
Arizona's Receivers vs Cincinnati's Secondary
This is where the game can turn into a track meet. Arizona has several receivers that Fifita has regularly made involved in the action. Seth Doege has given his junior quarterback a great mix of speed and size on the edges with Kris Hutson, Javin Whatley and Tre Spivey.
Cincinnati's zone dependency on defense could neutralize Arizona's top-end speed from the receiver position, making Fifita pick and choose his spots wisely. The Bearcats aren't great against the pass, giving up 225.6 passing yards per game, but there are always concerns about getting fooled against zone.
A guy to keep an eye on is Cincinnati safety Christian Harrison, who flies around the field. He has 45 tackles, seven pass deflections and one interception this season. Despite the lack of overall success for the defense, Harrison rarely lets the ball get behind him.
This will be an important week for Fifita to be conservative and take what the defense gives him. That doesn't mean the Wildcats can't be aggressive, but rather they should be smart in setting up their knockout shots.
Hutson can be a weapon over the middle of the field can find soft spots in the coverage from linebackers covering the hooks. Hutson has 33 catches for 389 yards and three touchdowns this season. Watch for him to have a big day with short catches before Fifita looks to Whatley and Spivey for the bigger plays.
Treydan Stukes vs Cyrus Allen
This might as well be just Arizona's secondary against the Cincinnati receivers, but this is the core matchup. The Bearcats have some reliable hands, but Cyrus Allen is Cincinnati's big-play receiver from the slot.
That means Treydan Stukes will draw Allen as an assignment often from his nickel role. Stukes has been phenomenal this season, making 33 tackles with five pass deflections and two interceptions.
Arizona has the second-best pass defense in the conference, allowing just 160.1 passing yards per game. On the other side, Cincinnati throws for 241.4 yards per game, fifth-best in the Big 12. The Bearcats have speed, and Arizona's tendency to rely on man coverage could result in many all-or-nothing plays.
Allen has 36 catches for 514 yards and ten touchdowns for Cincinnati. The Bearcats will try to take advantage of his speed from the slot against Stukes and take some shots. However, Arizona has allowed a Big 12-best 49 completions for 10 yards or more.
Stukes made a potentially game-saving swat last week against Kansas near the corner of the end zone. While Arizona's tendency to sit in man might look like an attractive opportunity for Cincinnati to hit on big plays, Stukes is one of the best at limiting those plays.
It will be a chess match between the two, and Arizona's pass rush against Sorsby could factor in as well. Keep an eye on this matchup of speed vs technique on Saturday.
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Logan Brown is an alumnus of the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He currently works as a General College Sports Reporter On SI. Logan has an extensive background in writing and has contributed to Cronkite Sports, PHNX Sports, and Motion Graphics.
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