Cincinnati’s perfect season comes to screeching halt in Arizona, 34-7
· Yahoo Sports
Last time the Cincinnati Bearcats started 4-0, they won a conference championship and qualified for the College Football Playoff.
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Cincinnati escaped the month of September unscathed, but the team hadn’t yet ventured beyond the confines of its city. The Bearcats’ first road game wasn’t just any road game — it was over 1,500 miles and two time zones west in Tucson against the Arizona Wildcats.
Cincinnati was 0-3 in the Mountain and Pacific Time Zones since joining the Big 12, and the recurring struggles out west continued Saturday night in an 8 p.m. Pacific Time kickoff in Arizona. The Bearcats’ undefeated record was spoiled in the desert, 34-7, and they were less than two minutes away from facing a shutout.
“They really just dominated us, mainly in the second half,” Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield said. “We just did not complement each other in the first half, and in the second half, we just couldn’t get anything going offensively. I thought they did a great job on their offense to dink and dink and then they got the running game going. It’s hard to stop them when they get both going like that.”
Last week, the Bearcats improved to 4-0 thanks to a dominant run game that entered Week 5 ranked seventh in the FBS in both yards per game (270) and yards per attempt (6.5). Arizona’s front inhibited Cincinnati’s greatest asset from the onset, stuffing several runs to force a three-and-out on the opening drive. The Bearcats ground struggles sustained for the remainder of the contest. Cincinnati only managed 74 rushing yards on 28 attempts, and the longest carry by a running back only spanned nine yards.
“They did a really good job of muddying up the front with their defensive line and their linebackers,” Satterfield said. “There’s a lot of different things they were doing — stacking four guys in between the B-gaps there and then running linebackers through. And we never got in a good rhythm… Give credit to them.”
Cincinnati’s typically stout offensive line was also overrun by Arizona in pass protection. The Bearcats only allowed eight sacks all of last season, but that total has already been matched through five games. Arizona landed three sacks Saturday night, ensuring Cincinnati would struggle across the board offensively. With the Wildcats’ front handling all facets of the Bearcat offense, the home team out-gained the visitors in decisive, 522-227 fashion.
“When teams stack the box and slow down your run, you gotta be able to get the pass game going,” Satterfield said. “And we did not get the passing game going. Our wide receivers didn’t play great tonight with some routes, and if you’re playing man, you gotta throw it on time. It was a combination of both. And they’re bringing pressure, we got sacked three times tonight. It was just a combination of all of that.”
Arizona defeated Cincinnati last November at Nippert Stadium thanks to a stellar showing from Noah Fifita. The program’s all-time leading passer picked up right where he left off last season to deliver a 284-yard, two-touchdown performance on the Bearcats. Arizona watched its top receivers — Gio Richardson, Tre Spivey, and Chris Hunter — go down with first half injuries, but Fifita ensured the passing game would remain dangerous, even with a batch of backup receivers.
“It was tough,” Cincinnati strong safety Jasper Beeler said on defending Fifita. “He did some things that were very tough, getting out of the pocket and extending plays gave us a hard time. We just gotta be better in our rush lanes and coverage on the back end.”
The Wildcats claimed a 10-0 haltime lead, but Cincinnati still had time to recover. After all, the Bearcats overcame double-digit deficits in their two previous matchups, storming back from down 21 against Miami (OH) and erasing a 10-point hole against Kansas State. However, the comeback never came close to materializing in Tucson.
The most pivotal play of the game occurred in the early third quarter. Arizona running back Antwan Roberts broke free on a run toward the end zone, but Cincinnati cornerback Jacob Finley caught up with impressive closing speed. Twelve yards away from the goal line, Finley swung from behind with a textbook punchout, jarring the ball loose for a fumble. The ball bounced into the end zone before outside linebacker Antwan Peek Jr. pushed it out of bounds to prevent a Wildcat recovery for a touchdown.
The veteran linebacker was flagged for an illegal bat, so instead of a touchback and Cincinnati possession, Arizona received the ball half the distance to the goal line. The Wildcats capitalized on the penalty with an 8-yard Fifita touchdown run, building the lead to 17-0.
“Had he went down to get the ball and he goes out of the back of the end zone, it’s our ball,” Satterfield said regarding the illegal bat play. “It’s an interpretation. I told him to swipe it to get the ball with one hand. I’ve seen people go with one hand, but they said no, he swiped it out. Well that’s an interpretation, but the intent of the rule is not for that. He fumbled out of the back of the end zone and they get the ball at the 5-yard line for them fumbling. It’s a little unjust there. I understand the rule and the interpretation of the rule.”
On the ensuing drive, Cincinnati fell inches short on a JC French IV fourth down scramble. It was initially ruled a first down but overturned after review. That was one of many missed opportunities by the Bearcats on the road. They also failed another fourth down two yards short of the end zone in the first half and doinked a field goal attempt immediately after gaining advantageous field position from an interception.
“We gotta take advantage of when the defense takes advantage,” French said. “There’s a lot of things we gotta clean up, and I’m excited to get back to work next week.”
Cincinnati scored its lone touchdown with 1:56 left on a 2-yard rush by French, who led the team with rushing 29 yards. By doing so, the Bearcats avoided their first shutout since 2019, although they still notched their lowest scoring output since a 20-6 loss to Oklahoma on Sept. 20, 2023.
“I really like how the team finished,” French said. “Offense couldn’t really get anything going, but it was good to see we finished that last drive. I think that speaks about our culture.”
Arizona (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) is now 2-0 against Cincinnati all-time, prevailing over the Bearcats in a second-straight season. Meanwhile, Cincinnati (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) loses its perfect record and suffers its fourth consecutive loss outside its home city. The records are identical, although the scoreboard showed anything but that Saturday night. This result will have plenty of time to marinate as Cincinnati prepares for its bye week.
“There’s a lot of ball left to be played,” Satterfield said. “We got to continue to get better. In this league, all these teams are good. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing, they could beat you. So you have a great plan, you gotta go execute a plan. On the road is tough. We’re gonna be on the road again. It’s travel. Away games are tough environments in these home crowds. All those things you have to battle, but more importantly, you gotta figure out what you do well and be good at it.”