Arizona upsets No. 25 Cincinnati 30-24 as Noah Fifita becomes program’s all-time passing touchdown leader

After becoming bowl eligible for the first time under Brent Brennan, the Wildcats just got their biggest win with Brennan at the helm. On Saturday, Arizona upset No. 25 Cincinnati 30-24 on the road, as the Wildcats moved to 7-3 on the season and 4-3 in Big 12 play.

Arizona finished with 475 yards of total offense, winning the time of possession battle 36:41 to 23:19. Noah Fifita, who became Arizona’s all-time passing touchdown leader with 68 career touchdowns, surpassing Willie Tuitama and Nick Foles, completed 23-of-31 passing attempts for 294 yards, one touchdown, and no turnovers. It’s the fourth straight game for Fifita without a turnover.

The running back room added another 190 rushing yards, with Kedrick Reescano leading the way with 13 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown. Quincy Craig added another 52 yards on 11 carries and Ismail Mahdi found the end zone for the third time on the ground this season, adding 48 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

Wide receiver Kris Hutson finished with a season-high 123 yards on eight receptions, but it was true freshman and Arizona native Gio Richardson who was on the receiving end of Fifita’s record-setting touchdown pass, hauling in three catches for 38 yards and the score.

Defensively, veterans Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson led the team with nine and eight tackles, respectively. Johnson also came away with an interception, while tipping the first pass of the game, which led to a pick for cornerback Jay’Vion Cole.

The Wildcats are now 1-0 all-time against the Bearcats, as they keep the door cracked open for a possible Big 12 Championship run, and improve their position for a bowl game in December.

First quarter (minute) fireworks:

Arizona won the toss and deferred to the second half, a decision that proved to be smart in the early moments of the game. Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s first pass of the game was tipped by Dalton Johnson and intercepted by Jay’Vion Cole. The Wildcats capitalized on Sorsby’s first interception at home, as running back Ismail Mahdi punched it in for a 27-yard touchdown, giving Arizona a 7-0 lead less than a minute into the game.

The Bearcats responded from the turnover, using a 39-yard pickup by running back Tawee Walker to get into Arizona territory, before Brendan Sorsby punched it in for a 4-yard touchdown run to knot the score at 7 with 11:07 in the first quarter. Cincinnati continued imposing its will on the ground on its next possession. Walker exploded for 54 yards on the first play of the next drive, setting up a 7-yard touchdown pass from Sorsby to wide receiver Jeff Caldwell for a 14-7 lead with 6:34 in the first quarter.

Fireworks fizzle in the first half:

The next two drives were as frustrating as they come for Arizona. After stalling just outside of the red zone, Michael Salgado-Medina missed a 40-yard field goal that would have made it a four-point game. Then on the following possession, Arizona couldn’t cash in on kick-catch interference and defensive pass interference penalties, as Salgado-Medina’s 34-yard field goal attempt was blocked. The two misses were Salgado-Medina’s seventh and eighth missed kicks on the season.

But as porous as Danny Gonzales’ defense was stopping the run, the no fly zone was in full effect in the first half. After getting the tip that led to the Jay’Vion Cole interception, Dalton Johnson came down with one of his own, giving Arizona the ball back with 4:50 to play in the second quarter. Brendan Sorsby entered the game with just two interceptions on the season, but matched that through the first 30 minutes of play against the Wildcats.

Salgado-Medina finally connected on a 24-yard field goal with 0:04 remaining in the first half, as Arizona trailed 14-10 heading into the locker room.

Wildcats takeover in second half:

The Wildcats’ red zone struggles bled into the third quarter. Arizona marched 68 yards down the field, churning through over five minutes on its first drive of the second half. But after converting a 4th down in the red area, the UA couldn’t punch it into the end zone, settling for a 25-yard Michael Salgado-Medina field goal to make the score 14-13 with 9:42 to play.

With red zone struggles being a concern, naturally Arizona’s next touchdown came on an explosive play. After being backed up at their own one-yard line, Kedrick Reescano gave the Wildcats a 20-14 lead at the 5:20 mark of the third quarter with a 50-yard touchdown run, as Arizona went 99 yards in six plays.

With time expiring in the third quarter, Cincinnati responded, converting a 28-yard field goal to make the score 20-17.

Then in the final frame, Noah Fifita forever cemented his name in the record books. With 10:53 to play, Fifita found Gio Richardson for a 15-yard touchdown to give Arizona a 27-17 lead. Fifita’s 68th career touchdown pass moved him past Willie Tuitama and Nick Foles for the most passing touchdowns in Arizona program history.

But Cincinnati didn’t go down without a fight. The Bearcats orchestrated a 12-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a one-yard Zion Johnson rushing touchdown, making it a 27-24 game with 6:38 to play.

The Wildcats used 5:04 of the remaining 6:38 on an 11-play drive, with Michael Salgado-Medina adding an insurance field goal to make the score 30-24 with 1:34 to play. A last ditch effort from Cincinnati was unsuccessful, as the Bearcats turned it over on downs.

Arizona returns home next week for Senior Day against the Baylor Bears (5-4, 3-3). The kickoff time and tv designation will be announced over the next 24 hours.