Arizona Wildcats at Texas Tech Red Raiders

Injuries noted

Arizona Wildcats: Max Harris (questionable) — LB #5 listed Questionable on the Big 12 Update 2 report; Jay'Vion Cole (out) — CB #8 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report; Shane King (out) — TE #8 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report; Cole Rusk (out) — TE #14 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report; Ismail Mahdi (questionable) — RB #21 listed Questionable on the Big 12 Update 2 report; Swayde Griffin (out) — CB #28 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report; Kevin Moorer Jr. (out) — DL #38 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report; Ezra Funa (out) — DL #92 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report

Texas Tech Red Raiders: Jalen Jones (out) — WR #6 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report; Malcolm Simmons (out) — WR #11 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report; S'Vioarean Martin (probable) — CB #18 listed Probable on the Big 12 Update 2 report; Miquel Dingle Jr. (probable) — S #21 listed Probable on the Big 12 Update 2 report

QUARTERBACK

• Noah Fifita is ARIZ's projected starter

  9.14 Y/A

  Noah Fifita is ARIZ's projected starting quarterback. Field Level Media (Oct 27, 2026) reports Fifita is set to make his 42nd consecutive start for Arizona at Texas Tech (2,064 yds, 18 TD, 4 INT this season). No opened source quotes Arizona saying he starts. No injury designation or limited practice was reported for him this week. In the Oct 24 win over Iowa State he left after a 40-yard TD pass with 6:41 remaining and sat out the rest of the game. The recap gives no reason and reports no injury. 2026 line: 2047 passing yards, 74.1% completions, 9.14 yards per attempt, 18-4 TD-INT over 7 games.

• Will Hammond is TTU's projected starter

  7.61 Y/A

  Will Hammond is TTU's projected starting quarterback. Yahoo Sports (Oct 30, 2026), citing an ESPN report by Pete Thamel, identifies Hammond as the starter and says both Hammond and Thomas Castellanos will get 'significant snaps' against Arizona. Yahoo (Oct 27) said the Cincinnati loss was not 'an announcement of a quarterback change.' Head coach Joey McGuire called not playing Castellanos against Cincinnati 'a total failure by my part.' Offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich said there are 'No injury issues' behind concerns about Hammond's deep passing. No opened source has the team naming Hammond as Saturday's starter, and no limited practice was reported for him. 2026 line: 1561 passing yards, 67.8% completions, 7.61 yards per attempt, 6-6 TD-INT over 7 games.

TURNOVERS

• TTU: 2 takeaways per game to ARIZ's 0.86

  1.14 TO

  Texas Tech forces 2 turnovers a game over 7 games, and Arizona's defense forces 0.86. Turnover rates swing on bounces, so expect both to settle somewhat over time. The gap still favors Texas Tech in the extra possession battle at home. Arizona has to protect the ball against a defense that takes it away, and a couple of short fields can move a margin quickly.

MISMATCH

• ARIZ: 308.4 pass yards a game to TTU's 229.4

  308.4 VS 229.4

  The widest gap between these two is pass yards a game: ARIZ threw for 308.4 passing yards a game over 7 games; TTU threw for 229.4 passing yards a game over 7 games this season. Last season ARIZ was at 255.2 over 13 games and TTU at 278.5 over 14 games.

REPLACEMENT

• Jay'Vion Cole (CB) is out for ARIZ

  OUT

  CB #8 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report Big 12 availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-30 21:00:00 CT) (2026-10-30)

• Shane King (TE) is out for ARIZ

  OUT

  TE #8 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report Big 12 availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-30 21:00:00 CT) (2026-10-30)

• Cole Rusk (TE) is out for ARIZ

  OUT

  TE #14 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report Big 12 availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-30 21:00:00 CT) (2026-10-30)

• Swayde Griffin (CB) is out for ARIZ

  OUT

  CB #28 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report Big 12 availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-30 21:00:00 CT) (2026-10-30)

• Kevin Moorer Jr. (DL) is out for ARIZ

  OUT

  DL #38 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report Big 12 availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-30 21:00:00 CT) (2026-10-30)

• Ezra Funa (DL) is out for ARIZ

  OUT

  DL #92 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report Big 12 availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-30 21:00:00 CT) (2026-10-30)

• Jalen Jones (WR) is out for TTU

  OUT

  WR #6 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report Big 12 availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-30 21:00:00 CT) (2026-10-30)

• Malcolm Simmons (WR) is out for TTU

  OUT

  WR #11 listed Out on the Big 12 Update 2 report Big 12 availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-30 21:00:00 CT) (2026-10-30)

SITUATIONAL

• ARIZ: 308.4 team passing yards per game to TTU's 229.4

  79 YPG

  Arizona throws for 308.4 yards a game, up from 255.2 last season, while Texas Tech has dropped to 229.4 from 278.5. The two have flipped roles from last year, with Arizona now the more pass-heavy side. Over 7 games, Arizona's level looks real but may soften on the road. Arizona's passing props get a strong baseline here.

• ARIZ: 53.4% third-down conversion rate to TTU's 38.8%

  14.6 PP

  Arizona converts more than half its third downs, up sharply from 41% last season, while Texas Tech has slipped to 38.8% from 49.5%. Both moves are big for seven games, and third-down rates tend to drift back toward the middle, so expect some of that gap to narrow. Arizona's ability to extend drives on the road gives it a path to shorten the game, but do not price it as if 53.4% holds for the rest of the year.

• No. 22 Arizona at No. 13 Texas Tech

  #22 VS #13

  Texas Tech has 861 poll points to Arizona's 400, but both teams are 6-1, so the gap is about perception more than record. The trends point in opposite directions: Texas Tech fell five spots this week, Arizona rose three. A slide like that usually follows a loss, and voters are now less sure of Texas Tech. If Arizona wins at Texas Tech, expect the rankings to swap places quickly, so weigh the records more than the poll numbers.

TEAM RECORD

• Big 12 game: ARIZ 3-1, TTU 3-1 in conference

  CONFERENCE

  Arizona and Texas Tech are both 3-1 in Big 12 play, so nothing in league results separates them. Four conference games each is a small sample, and identical records mean the edge in this one has to come from somewhere other than standings. With both teams sitting at the same mark, the winner takes a step ahead of the other in the conference race.

• TTU is 4-0 at home; ARIZ is 2-1 on the road

  4-0

  The site split favours TTU: TTU has played 4 games at home this season and ARIZ 3 games away from it. 2026 standings through 2026-10-31.