Arizona’s Defense, Fifita’s Milestone Spark Upset of Cincinnati 30-24

[WILD]

Arizona's Defense, Fifita's Milestone Spark Upset of Cincinnati 30-24

In a gutsy road win, the Arizona Wildcats edged out the No. 22 Cincinnati Bearcats 30–24 at Nippert Stadium. Arizona piled up 475 yards of total offense, fueled by quarterback Noah Fifita's 23-of-31 passing for 294 yards. In the fourth quarter, Fifita broke a tie with a go-ahead touchdown to freshman Gio Richardson — his 68th career passing TD, which made him Arizona's all-time leader in that category. Meanwhile, kicker Michael Salgado-Medina redeemed an earlier miss with a clutch 51-yard field goal with just 1:34 left on the clock to seal the victory.

Arizona's defense delivered in the clutch, producing momentum-shifting plays that stalled the Bearcats' offense. The Wildcats intercepted Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby twice and held him to just 154 passing yards, smothering a unit that had been explosive at home all season. Offensively, Arizona controlled the tempo late, converting key third downs and executing a disciplined, clock-draining final drive that left Cincinnati little time to answer. Coach Brennan summed up the team's mentality after the win, saying, "We knew if we kept attacking and trusted each other, we could close it out the right way." The victory moved Arizona to 7–3 overall and 4–3 in Big 12 play, strengthening its postseason position.

https://x.com/ArizonaFBall/status/1989801775424315612?t=gQIeB5PC8Ol9BRZCCrGjeg&s=19

[KansasCityCats]

Great win. Despite the early kicking issues, the offense continued to move downfield and defense stopped the Bearcats, who have taken care off the ball all season.

Unexpected road win. Love that the staff is turning things around!