Houston football will face the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, Oct 18, at 11 a.m. inside TDECU Stadium and the game will be available to watch on FS1.
The Cougars will also be 1 of the 5 Big 12 schools that will have their Homecoming matchup in Week 8.
The two teams will meet for the sixth time ever, and the Cougars seek revenge for last year’s loss to the Wildcats in Arizona.
Oct 4, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tre Spivey (12) celebrates after a play during the third quarter of the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
Houston has the all-time lead over the Arizona Wildcats in their brief matchup history with a 3-2 lead.
The Cougars are 2-2 when playing Arizona in Tucson, but Houston won its lone game at home against the Wildcats in 2018.
The two teams first played in 1969 in Tucson, Ariz., and the Cougars prevailed in a 34-17 victory.
Arziona evened the series against Houston 17 years later in 1986, where the Wildcats blew out Houston in a 37-3 win.
Houston took back the series lead in 2017 with a narrow 19-16 victory to steal a win from Arizona on the road.
The following season, the Cougars once again defeated Arizona 45-18 in the two teams’ first matchup in Houston, Texas.
In their most recent matchup in 2024, Arizona stunned Houston in a 27-3 blowout and won the first Big 12 game against the Cougars.
Houston and Arizona will match up once again on Oct. 18, and the Cougars will look to remain perfect at home against the Wildcats.
The Arizona Wildcats are also 4-1 and 1-1 in the Big 12 just like Houston. They are coming off a big 41-13 victory over Oklahoma State and will play No. 18 BYU this Saturday.
Arizona is led by second-year head coach Brent Brennan who has his squad back on track this season after a 4-8 finish last year.
The Wildcats lost their best player from last year’s roster in wide receiver Tetairoa McMillian, who was drafted to the Carolina Panthers with the eighth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Sep 27, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) looks to pass against the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
However, Arizona returned junior quarterback Noah Fifita who is one of the most talented passers in the conference.
So far this season, he has thrown for 1,341 yards and three touchdowns while only throwing three interceptions.
His top target is senior wide receiver Javin Whatley who has 22 receptions for 316 yards and three touchdowns this season.
The Wildcats also have a solid run game with senior running back Ismail Mahdi who has 382 rushing yards and a touchdown on the year.
Arizona’s defense is tough, ranking No. 6 in the country with 2.3 takeaways per game.
Overall, the Wildcats have a solid team throughout its entire roster and will give Houston a challenge at home in two weeks.