Arizona Offensive Players You Need to Watch Against Cincinnati
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The Arizona Wildcats have won two games in a row, stampeding over the Colorado Buffaloes 52-17 and narrowly escaping the Kansas Jayhawks in a close 24-20 competition, pushing them to a 3-3 record in the Big 12, 6-3 overall.
Arizona will now look to make it three straight by marching into Nippert Stadium and upsetting the No. 25-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats to boost its chances at ending the regular season with a higher place in its conference and making it to a more prestigious bowl game.
The Wildcats will face a Bearcats defense that is not to be taken lightly, but they are more than capable of taking on any squad, given their success over the last couple of games.
If Arizona is to be successful on offense, it will need to rely on these three players to help lead the offense to a huge outing in enemy territory.
Noah Fifita-Quarterback
Fifita has had a monumental season so far, ranking fourth in the Big 12 and tied for second in the conference with 23 touchdowns.
Fifita ran into a bit of trouble against Kansas, throwing for a season-low 158 yards and being sacked five times. Despite that, he still managed to throw two passing touchdowns, which tied him with Nick Foles and Willie Tuitama for the most touchdowns in program history with 67.
Fifita needs just one more touchdown to pass both quarterbacks for the No. spot. He should be able to do that against the Bearcats.
Javin Whatley-Wide receiver
Whatley has become a reliable weapon for Noah Fifita through nine games of the season, leading the team with 420 yards. He also has the second-most touchdowns on the team with four.
The Chattanooga transfer had a quiet day against the Jayhawks, catching just two receptions for 16 yards in a game where the offense struggled to move the ball down the field in the second half. He also had just one catch for 34 yards against Colorado in the game before, although it was for a huge touchdown that put the team up by an amount.
Whatley should be able to bounce back in a big way against the Bearcats, as they have struggled as a passing defense, ranking 13th in the Big 12 in that category.
Ismail Mahdi-Running back
Mahdi is a part of a running back room where any one of them can break out and have a big game on the ground. That much is clear given Quincy Craig's big performance that saw him score two touchdowns against the Jayhawks, the final one winning the game.
Craig was the hero of that game, but Mahdi led the team in carries and yards, showcasing his ability to be the workhorse of the squad just as he had been all season long.
The 2023 all-purpose leader in yards should be able to terrorize a Cincinnati rushing defense that is ranked 12th in the Big 12 by slashing through the first level and using his elite burst to scorch his way to the end zone.
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Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.