Arizona Hands Cincinnati First Loss of Season, 34-7 in Tucson

The Wildcats held Cincinnati to 74 rushing yards and 227 total yards at Casino Del Sol Stadium, leaving both teams at 4-1 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 play.

The Arizona Wildcats handed Cincinnati its first defeat of the season, beating the Bearcats 34-7 in a late-night game at Casino Del Sol Stadium in Tucson. Announced attendance was 43,760. Both teams are now 4-1 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 play.

Cincinnati avoided a shutout only in the closing minutes. Quarterback JC French IV ran for a touchdown just after the two-minute warning, sparing the Bearcats their first shutout since a loss to Ohio State on Sept. 7, 2019, in Luke Fickell's third season as coach. The score also denied Arizona its first shutout win since 2009.

The running game decided the matchup. Cincinnati arrived averaging 270 rushing yards per game and more than 40 points per game, having outrushed each of its first four opponents by a wide margin. Arizona, ranked 13th nationally against the run, outgained the Bearcats 238-74 on the ground and 533-227 overall.

Wildcats ball carriers Antwan Roberts and Quincy Craig each outgained Cincinnati's entire team by himself, with Roberts rushing for 87 yards and Craig 77. French led the Bearcats with 29 rushing yards, followed by Gi'Bran Payne with 24 and Cole Tabb with 19.

Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita completed 25 of 37 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked and intercepted, but he repeatedly slipped away from pressure. French finished 16-of-29 passing for 153 yards.

Cincinnati failed to convert its early opportunities. After MJ Cannon intercepted Fifita in the first quarter, the Bearcats took over at the Arizona 35-yard line, but a sack pushed them back and Stephen Rusnak's 53-yard field goal attempt struck the crossbar. A second-quarter drive of 14 plays and 86 yards that consumed nearly seven minutes ended when French's fourth-and-goal pass from the 2 to tight end Gavin Grover was ruled incomplete. Cincinnati trailed 10-0 at halftime with as many as 10 potential points gone, and the offense remained stuck after the break.

The loss was Cincinnati's second in a row against Arizona. The Wildcats' only defeat this season came at BYU. The Bearcats are now 0-4 in games played in the Mountain Time Zone since joining the Big 12, and another trip to the region awaits: Cincinnati visits BYU in Provo on Nov. 28.

Cincinnati gets its only bye week after playing five straight weekends, then visits West Virginia the following weekend. Arizona travels to Morgantown first, facing the Mountaineers on Oct. 10 in a game that kicks off at noon Eastern, which is 9 a.m. in Tucson.

West Virginia leads the all-time series with Cincinnati 18-3-1. The Bearcats' last two wins came in 2008 and 2009, when Tony Pike played quarterback and both schools were in the Big East. Current Cincinnati coach Rich Rodriguez, during his first stint at West Virginia, lost to the Bearcats once, 15-13 in 2003, Rick Minter's final season. West Virginia fell 45-42 at Iowa State on Oct. 3 despite outrushing the Cyclones 291-265.