Arizona and Colorado stacked up the points at Folsom Field on Saturday afternoon. When the dust settled, it was the 21st-ranked Wildcats, via a last-second chip-shot field goal by Tyler Loop, winning 34-31.

Washington and Oregon are far and away the class of the Pac-12 this season, but Jedd Fisch’s team has gotten it done since a 43-41 loss to USC on Oct. 7. It was far from a perfect performance; untimely penalties dogged them throughout the game while their third-down offense left a bit to be desired (4-of-12). That said, they held Colorado to 90 rushing yards and sacked Shedeur Sanders three times.

The Wildcats now turn their attention to a Senior Day contest against Utah on Nov. 18. Here are three takeaways from their fourth straight win:

Noah Fifita wasn’t great, but he got it done

Noah Fifita has shined since taking over as Arizona’s starting quarterback for the injured Jayden de Laura.

The redshirt freshman came into Saturday’s game with three 300-yard performances and 11 touchdowns in his last four outings. Against the Buffs, he was just 21-of-35 for 214 yards but threw a pair of touchdowns — one to Tetairoa McMillan and one to Jacob Cowing.

Most importantly, Arizona’s offensive line helped keep him upright, allowing just one sack.

Arizona’s ground game took it to Colorado

Colorado has been a team that opponents have been able to successfully run against. The Buffs have allowed 200 yards or more on four occasions, most recently on Oct. 28 against UCLA.

Saturday saw the Wildcats become the latest team to break the 200-yard plateau against the Buffs. Jonah Coleman took 11 carries for 179 yards, including some critical runs on the Wildcats’ final drive to set up Loop’s FG make.

DJ Williams added a pair of touchdowns, providing an important dose of complementary running the Wildcats needed.

Jedd Fisch continues to reshape the Arizona program

What a job Jedd Fisch has done in Tucson. He probably won’t win Pac-12 Coach of the Year when it’s all said and done, but he deserves major consideration.

Two seasons removed from a 1-11 mark in 2021, Arizona picked up a Week 10 win over UCLA as Fisch led the program to its first bowl berth since 2017. Arizona now has a shot at its first 10-win season since 2014.

Credit to Fisch for keeping the team focused and on track. The loss of de Laura, the pivot to a new quarterback, and the re-integration of de Laura into the picture could have been thorny, but Arizona has handled it well. The Wildcats have a chance to gather even more momentum as they ready for the final two games of the regular season and their bowl game before their first year in the Big 12 in 2024.