Loading

No. 22 Bearcats Host Arizona on Saturday at Noon

The University of Cincinnati football team returns to action this weekend at Nippert Stadium when it hosts Arizona at noon on Saturday. The battle between the No. 22 Bearcats and the Wildcats will be televised on FS1.

Purchase Tickets
No. 22 Bearcats Host Arizona on Saturday at NoonNo. 22 Bearcats Host Arizona on Saturday at Noon
Ben Pennington

CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati football team returns to action this weekend at Nippert Stadium when it hosts Arizona at noon on Saturday.

The battle between the No. 22 Bearcats and the Wildcats will be televised on FS1. This will be the first meeting all-time between the two programs.

Saturday will be Cincinnati’s first game since a road setback at Utah on Nov. 1. UC entered the game ranked No. 17 in the AP Poll and No. 16 in the Coaches Poll, but had some uncharacteristic miscues that allowed the Utes to score points in bunches in a 45-14 decision.

The loss may have stung, but the Bearcats aren’t going to let it derail their hopes of potentially playing for the Big 12 title.

“We have a resilient bunch,” head coach Scott Satterfield said following the Utah game. “This is just one blip in our Big 12 season so far. We need to regroup and then get ready to play a good Arizona team.”

“Everybody in the locker room knows we need to continue to get better,” three-time team captain Gavin Gerhardt said after the loss. “That’s going to be the message from me, from [Brendan] Sorsby, from Coach Satt, from every leader on this team. We have everything we want right in front of us. If we execute and take it one game at a time we’ll be alright.”

Taking things one game at a time will be imperative for UC, which has three tough opponents remaining on its schedule. Entering the final few weeks of the regular season, Cincinnati's final three opponents have a combined record of 20-7 (.741). That gives the Bearcats the 13th-toughest remaining schedule in the country.

Arizona is led by experienced quarterback Noah Fifita, who ranks among the league leaders in passing efficiency (152.5), passing yards (2,200), and passing touchdowns (26). The Wildcats’ defense is also among the best in the conference, ranking in the top five in the Big 12 in scoring defense (19.89) and total defense (302.0).

After suffering back-to-back losses in October vs. BYU and at Houston, Arizona has won its last two games. A 52-17 road victory at Colorado on Nov. 1 preceded a thrilling 24-20 win vs. Kansas.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

The game will be broadcast on FS1 with Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Mark Helfrich (analyst) on the call. The game will be broadcast on radio via 700 WLW and SiriusXM Channel 81 with Dan Hoard (pxp) and Tony Pike (analyst) on the call.

BEARCATS LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK AT HOME AGAINST ARIZONA

  • The No. 22-ranked Cincinnati football team welcomes Arizona for a 12 p.m. clash on Saturday at Historic Nippert Stadium.
  • The Bearcats will look to bounce back after falling, 45-14, to No. 13/15 Utah in Salt Lake City on Nov. 1. UC had a bye on Nov. 8.
  • Cincinnati had won seven straight games and rose to No. 17/16 in the AP and Coaches’ polls before the loss to the Utes.
  • At 5-1 in the league, the Bearcats are tied with BYU for second in the Big 12 - a half-game behind Texas Tech (6-1) - with three games remaining. Cincinnati controls its own destiny and will be guaranteed a spot in the Big 12 Championship on Dec. 4 by winning out. After Arizona, UC hosts No. 12 BYU (8-1, 5-1) and travels to TCU (6-3, 3-3).
  • The Bearcats are led by star redshirt junior quarterback Brendan Sorsby, whose 29 total touchdowns rank second in the nation (21 passing, eight rushing). He has recorded at least two touchdowns in every game this season and had an incredible seven-game streak where he passed for 2+ touchdowns and committed zero turnovers in September and October.
  • Senior WR Cyrus Allen has 10 TD catches, which are two more than any other Big 12 player and rank second in the nation.
  • UC’s offensive line has been among the best in the nation, allowing the fewest sacks (2.0) in the country, which is also the fewest through nine games in the 30-year history of the Big 12. The offensive line is led by fourth-year starting center and three-time team captain Gavin Gerhardt, who has combined with redshirt sophomore left guard Evan Tengesdahl (PFF’s second-rated guard in the country), Ball State transfer right guard Taran Tyo and FCS All-America transfer left tackle Joe Cotton to lead the Bearcats.
  • UC leads the Big 12 in yards per play (7.22) and rush yards per carry (5.99), ranking fifth and third, respectively, in the nation.
  • The defense is led by two-time All-American and All-Big 12 First Team nose tackle Dontay “The Godfather” Corleone as well as Butkus Award semifinalist LB Jake Golday and Thorpe Award semifinalist DB Antwan Peek Jr.
  • The Bearcats are 5-0 at home this season and averaging 40.6 ppg and 440 ypg at Nippert Stadium, while allowing just 16.2 ppg.
  • Cincinnati, which started playing football in 1885, is in its 138th season and owns an all-time record of 674-617-50 (52.1%).

NOTING ARIZONA

  • Arizona has won two straight games and improved to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12 following a comeback win at Kansas on Saturday in which Wildcats’ RB Quincy Craig scored a 24-yard TD with 39 seconds left to secure a 24-20 win in Tucson, Ariz.
  • The Wildcats are led by redshirt junior QB Noah Fifita. His two TD passes against Kansas gave him 67 for his career to tie Nick Foles and Willie Tuitama for the most TD passes in school history. He has thrown for 8,122 yards in his 36-game career.
  • This season, Fifita has passed for 2,200 yards and 23 TDs with four INTs. He is sixth in the country in TD passes and his +19 TD/INT ratio is tied with Sorsby for No. 1 in the Big 12. Fifita’ 18 first-half TD passes lead the nation - one more than Sorsby (17).
  • Arizona has one of the best defenses in the Big 12, too. The Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 in pass defense (160.11) and have snagged a league-best 12 interceptions on opposing quarterbacks in 2025. The Wildcats have forced 18 turnovers this fall.
  • Arizona ranks No. 4 in the Big 12 in scoring defense (19.9 ppg) and No. 5 in scoring offense (33.0).

CINCY BUILDING A RESUME

  • UC ranks fifth in the nation in yards per play (7.22) and has proven to have the most balanced offense in the country, ranking third nationally in yards per rush (5.99) and 10th in pass efficiency (164.41). Cincinnati leads the country in fourth down conversion percentage (.909) and fewest sacks allowed (2.0), and is eighth in red zone offense (.943).
  • UC’s scoring defense (21.9) ranks No. 7 in the Big 12. Cincinnati has only turned the ball over seven times - fewest in the Big 12.
  • Cincinnati has the 20th-best “Strength of Record” according to ESPN metrics behind fellow Big 12 teams: BYU (eighth), Texas Tech (ninth) and Utah (19th). UC is 19th in the game control metric as well.
  • The Bearcats are the nation’s 20th most efficient team according to ESPN, including the seventh-most efficient offense and the No. 13-most efficient special teams.

SORSBY THROWS 20 TOUCHDOWNS WITH ZERO TURNOVERS IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

  • Brendan Sorsby, a Denton, Texas native, is the Big 12’s highest-rated QB by PFF (89.7) and No. 2 in Total QBR (80.6) and passer rating (161.47). He has 2,064 yards and 21 TDs passing with 453 yards and eight scores on the ground.
  • Sorsby proved to be among the best quarterbacks in the country over a two-month stretch, leading UC to a 7-0 record in September and October, while passing for 1,774 yards and 20 touchdowns with no interceptions. He added five touchdowns on the ground, as UC shook off a loss to Nebraska on Aug. 28 to vault to as high as No. 16 during the seven-game win streak.
  • He is the only P4 QB to throw at least 10 touchdowns with no interceptions at home this season.
  • He is a two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, claiming the awards after the Northwestern State and Kansas games.
  • This season, he has a five-TD first quarter vs. Northwestern State, a game-winning come-from-behind TD drive on the road at Kansas, the nation’s highest single-game QBR (99.8, NW ST), two 300-yard passing games and six three-total-TD games.
  • Sorsby ranks among the Big 12 leaders in total TDs (29, 1st), yards per completion (14.3, 1st), yards per attempt (8.7, 2nd), passing efficiency (161.47, 2nd), total offense (279.7, 3rd), passing touchdowns (21, 4th), and rushing touchdowns (8, 4th).
  • At home in 2025: Sorsby has completed 70-of-106 passes for 1,102 yards and 14 TDs with no turnovers. He has added 264 yards on 37 carries (7.1 ypc) with four TDs on the ground, as well.