Arizona's hot streak takes on Tech's home record chase
The Wildcats arrive at Lubbock with a five-game winning run, while Cincinnati hosts undefeated Utah after beating the Red Raiders last week.
By Ella Cox ·
No. 22 Arizona faces No. 13 Texas Tech on Saturday at noon ET in a clash of contrasting momentum. The Wildcats have won their last five games by an average margin of 24 points. Their current 6-1 record is the best start for the program since the 2014 season, when they finished with 10 wins under head coach Rich Rodriguez in the Pac-12 Conference.
Texas Tech enters the game coming off a 37-24 loss at Cincinnati. The Red Raiders are back in Lubbock, where their current 11-game home winning streak is one game shy of the school record set in 1942. Head coach Joey McGuire has compiled a 16-4 record against Big 12 opponents at home over his five seasons in the role.
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita has thrown for 2,064 yards this season. He has accounted for 18 touchdown passes and four interceptions. The fourth-year starter faces a Texas Tech defense that has returned five interceptions for touchdowns in its last four games.
No. 6 Utah visits Cincinnati on Saturday at 3:45 p.m. ET to face a Bearcats team that is 5-2. Cincinnati beat Texas Tech last week for its first home victory over a top 10 team in 20 years. The Utes are 7-0 and have won 13 consecutive games, the longest active winning streak in FBS football.
Utah defeated then-No. 14 Houston 21-13 last week. That win marked the ninth consecutive Big 12 victory for the Utes. They are 7-0 for the first time since 2010. No unranked Big 12 team has ever won back-to-back games against top 10 opponents.
Cincinnati running back Cole Tabb ran for 173 yards and a 58-yard touchdown in the win over Texas Tech. The Red Raiders had not allowed a rushing touchdown or a 100-yard rusher since 2024. Utah leads the Big 12 by allowing only 88.3 rushing yards per game.
The Big 12 currently has six teams in the Top 25, a number not seen since 2012. No. 8 BYU has not lost consecutive games since late in the 2024 season. The Cougars host Arizona State on Saturday. TCU, which allows 13.9 points and 264 total yards per game, hosts Kansas. Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker has thrown for at least 300 yards and multiple touchdowns in six straight games, one short of the Big 12 single-season record. Colorado takes a nine-game Big 12 losing streak to its home game against Kansas State. No. 18 Houston and West Virginia have the conference's final open dates.
Source: MySA
