CINCINNATI — The Arizona Wildcats take on the 25th-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats for the first time Saturday morning at Nippert Stadium.
Cincinnati is a 6-point favorite to beat Arizona, according to Action Network.
Here are three notable players to monitor on each side, as the Wildcats prepare to battle the Bearcats in "The Queen City."
Arizona
Noah Fifita, quarterback: If Fifita throws a touchdown pass on Saturday, his first one will put him ahead of Nick Foles and Willie Tuitama for the most career touchdown passes at Arizona. He's currently tied with Foles and Tuitama with 67 touchdown passes in his career.
In three road games this season, Fifita has completed 72% of his passes for 735 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
Fifita is currently fourth in the Big 12 in passing yards (2,200) and tied for second with TCU's Josh Hoover for passing touchdowns (23).
Arizona defensive lineman Leroy Palu crashes the pocket and knocks down the pass from Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson in the third quarter, Sept. 12, 2025, in Tucson.
Leroy Palu, defensive tackle: With defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea ruled out with a leg injury he suffered last week against Kansas, Palu will likely earn more defensive snaps, along with Julian Savaiinaea and junior college transfer Zac Siulepa.
Savea has the most defensive snaps (372) on Arizona's defensive line this season. His return is uncertain.
Palu, a transfer from Cerritos College (California), has started four games this season, including the last two against Colorado and Kansas, with Savea rotating in. Savaiinaea has 17 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery in 164 defensive snaps. The Wildcats could conceivably move Mays Pese, a 6-3, 270-pound freshman, inside to add depth to the interior.
Siulepa, who has 19 snaps this season, "knows what to do, he can go in spurts and when you have a 403-pound nose guard, you got someone that can't be moved," said Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales. "You just have to put him in the right situations to be successful and make sure it's the best situation for your football team."
Gonzales said the 6-6 Siulepa, who weighs roughly 400 pounds, was recently clocked running over 17 miles per hour.
"That's freakish," Gonzales said. "He's going to hate me now and love me later, because once this football season is over, me and Zac are going to have a (5 a.m.) date every day, we're going to eat lunch together, we're going to eat dinner together ... because if that dude gets down to 340 pounds, he's going to be a freak. He's already a freak at 400 pounds. Zac has a bright future and I can't wait to see his development."
Isaac Lovison, punter: Lovison is averaging 42.6 yards per punt this season. The Australian punter had a career-high seven punts for 281 yards in the Wildcats' gutty win over Kansas last week.
Lovison has four punts over 50 yards this season, including a 57-yarder against Houston. However, Lovison's consistency is a work in progress. After back-to-back 45-yard punts, Lovison had a 30-yarder in the second quarter. He also had a 35-yarder in the fourth quarter and failed to land one of his seven attempts inside the 20-yard line.
Cincinnati
Cincinnati wide receiver Cyrus Allen (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Taran Tyo (77) in the first half on Oct. 18, 2025, in Stillwater, Okla.
Cyrus Allen, wide receiver: The Texas A&M transfer and New Orleans product is 14th in the Big 12 with 514 yards — first in the conference with 10 touchdown receptions. The 5-11, 180-pound Allen is “the best receiver we’ve played against. He’s excellent,” said Arizona head coach Brent Brennan.
“Just the combination of speed and talent, his ability to finish, he’s tough,” added Brennan.
Allen hasn't recorded a drop on 45 targets this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Allen lines up at slot receiver 93.4% of the time, but has played out wide. Allen had two catches for 133 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown, in Cincinnati's blowout loss to Utah two weeks ago.
"They try to find matchups and do a great job moving him around and put him in matchups to run straight by people," said Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales.
Tawee Walker, running back: The Las Vegas native played his final season of high school football at Centennial in Peoria, where he led the Coyotes to a Class 5A state championship. Walker's college journey has taken him through Palomar College (California), Oklahoma, Wisconsin and now Cincinnati.
The 5-8, 218-pound Walker, who's overcoming an ankle injury, is "super physical," said Gonzales. Walker leads the Bearcats in rushing with 533 yards and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry. After a bye week, a healthier Walker will be a challenge for the Wildcats. UC running back Evan Pryor, the Bearcats' second-leading rusher, is questionable with an injury.
Dontay Corleone, defensive tackle: Nicknamed "The Godfather," the 6-1, 335-pound Corleone is the nose tackle in Cincinnati's 3-3-5 defense. Corleone, who was an All-Big 12 first-team selection last season, only has 11 tackles this season, but his size clogs up gaps and occupies blockers, making it a challenge to run between the tackles. Corleone, a Cincinnati native, is in his fifth season at UC and is considered one of the top interior linemen in college football.
