Inside The Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Live Game Thread

Arizona football heads on the road to face Cincinnati in a Big 12 conference game on Saturday.
Ari Koslow|
Nov 8, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) against the Kansas Jayhawks at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Nov 8, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) against the Kansas Jayhawks at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Arizona Wildcats

Cincinnati, OH -- Arizona heads on the road to face Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium.

The Wildcats reached bowl eligibility last week with a 24-20 win at home over Kansas. Arizona now sits at 6-3 with three games to go in the regular season, followed by a bowl game.

Arizon
Nov 8, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) celebrates with offensive coordinator Seth Doege after defeating the Kansas Jayhawks at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The offense struggled most of the afternoon last weekend, but the defense kept the Wildcats in the game long enough to allow quarterback Noah Fifita to lead a game-winning drive. The drive was capped off by a rushing score from the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, Quincy Craig, who found the end zone twice in the win.

Cincinnati enters Saturday's game off its bye week after having its seven-game win streak ended two weeks ago in a 45-14 loss against Utah.

The Bearcats are led by the dynamic playmaking ability of quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who has thrown for 2,064 yards with 21 touchdowns to just two interceptions, to go along with another 453 yards and eight scores on the ground.

The big key for Arizona will be containing Sorsby on the ground as a runner as well as getting off to a fast start offensively and taking the crowd out of the game.

Arizona coach Brent Brennan made it clear this week that he and the team are not satisfied with just six wins.

"When you start a season, at least in my head, the first thing you want to do is, 'How fast can we get bowl eligible?,'" he said. "Because when you get to the postseason, you're going to get a chance for an extra spring practice basically... But then you don't want that to be the goal. Like that wasn't the goal when we started in the fall. The goal wasn't to just get to a bowl game."

Kickoff is scheduled for 10 a.m. (MST) and will be aired on FS1.

First Quarter

  • TURNOVER: On the first play of the game, Arizona defensive back Jay'Vion Cole intercepts Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby. 
  • Scoring update No. 1: Arizona running back Ismail Mahdi takes a carry up the middle for a 27-yard touchdown. 
  • Drive summary (2 plays, 26 yards, 0:49)
  • Scoring update No. 2: Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby runs for a 4-yard touchdown. 
  • Drive summary (6 plays, 75 yards, 2:57)
  • Scoring update No. 3: Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby finds wide receiver Jeff Caldwell in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown.
  • Drive summary (5 plays, 74 yards. 2:42)
  • Side Note: Cincinnati is running all over Arizona early on as running back Tawee Walker has 98 yards on three carries through the first two drives. 
  • Missed field goal: Arizona kicker Michael Salgado-Medina misses a 40-yard field goal. 

Start of Second Quarter

  • Missed field goal: Arizona kicker Michael Salgado-Medina has a 34-yard field goal blocked. 
  • Interception: Arizona defensive back Dalton Johnson intercepts Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby. 
  • Side note: Sorsby entered Saturday with two interceptions on the season and the Wildcats have picked him off twice in the first half. 
  • Scoring update No. 4: Arizona kicker Michael Salgado-Medina makes a 24-yard field goal.
  • Drive summary (11 plays, 58 yards, 4:46)

HALFTIME: Cincinnati leads Arizona 14-10

Start of Third Quarter

  • Scoring update No. 5: Arizona kicker Michael Salgado-Medina connects on a 25-yard field goal. 
  • Drive summary (11 plays, 68 yards, 5:18)
  • Scoring update No. 6: Arizona running back Kedrick Reescano finds a hole and runs for a 50-yard touchdown. The drive started at Arizona's own 1-yard line. 
  • Drive summary (6 plays, 99 yards, 2:29)
  • Scoring update No. 7: Cincinnati kicker Stephen Rusnak connects on a 28-yard field goal. 
  • Drive summary (12 plays, 66 yards, 5:21)

Start of the Fourth Quarter 

  • Scoring update No. 8: Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita finds wide receiver Gio Richardson in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown.
  • Drive summary (9 plays, 75 yards, 4:07)
  • Side note: Fifita has become the all-time leading touchdown passer in Arizona football history. 
  • Scoring update No. 9: Cincinnati running back Zion Johnson finds the end zone for a 1-yard score. 
  • Drive summary (12 plays, 75 yards, 4:15)

Arizona will get the ball back leading 27-24 with 6:38 left in the game. 

  • Scoring update No. 10: : Arizona kicker Michael Salgado-Medina connects on a 51-yard field goal.
  • Drive summary (11 plays, 42 yards, 5:04)

Arizona leads 30-24 with 1:34 left in the game.

Final note: After an offensive pass interference penalty pins Cincinnati back, the Wildcats defense holds on to secure a huge top-25 win on the road over the Bearcats.

[Final] Arizona 30, Cincinnati 24

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Ari Koslow
ARI KOSLOW

Ari Koslow is a sports writer covering the University of Arizona athletics at On SI. Koslow has been covering Arizona sports for several years. Born and raised in Seattle, he is a diehard Seahawks fan and a longtime sufferer of the Mariners. He is a huge fantasy football fanatic. Koslow is a graduate of Arizona’s School of Journalism.