Jedd Fisch doesn’t want a quarterback controversy, but the way Noah Fifita has played for three straight weeks has created exactly that for Fisch and the Arizona coaching staff.

The Wildcat head coach said heading into a third consecutive game against a ranked opponent that Arizona would only bring Jayden de Laura back into the starting lineup if he was 100% healthy. The Wildcats’ season-opening starter is progressing from an injury sustained in the Stanford game, but he wasn’t quite ready and Fifita started his third straight game on Saturday against then-No. 19 Washington State.

In a 44-6 win, Fifita threw for 342 yards while completing 34 of his 43 passes.

Yes, it was a 38-point win on the road over a ranked opponent. It was the Wildcats’ first win in Pullman since 2014 and tied a program record for the largest win over a ranked opponent in school history.

Fifita played No. 5 Washington to a seven-point loss. He took a ranked USC squad to triple-overtime in Los Angeles. And now he has this on his résumé.

“The confidence that he has it’s just unbelievable,” said running back Jonah Coleman after the game. “His confidence and passion rubs off on us and that’s how we’re able to do what we do.”

Added Fisch: “No turnovers, threw the ball away when it wasn’t there, took a sack when he had to take a sack, and did a great job of running our offense.”

Fifita’s 90.5 QBR was the best by a Pac-12 quarterback in Week 7. He’s up to fifth in the conference this season in Total QBR (81.5). (In the same metric, de Laura ranks ninth with a 49.5 QBR.) The second-year man has eight touchdowns against two interceptions. He’s averaging 7.6 yards a pass and connecting at a 75.2% clip.

Did the victory change Fisch’s view of the quarterback hierarchy?

“I’ll just talk about the game today,” Fisch answered.

Arizona is currently in an envious position, with two quarterbacks who are more than capable of winning a football game for it. The Wildcats now have two ranked road victories under Fisch, and de Laura provided the other a year ago when he took down a top-10 UCLA squad.

Fisch will want to do what he can to maintain his quarterback depth. Though Fisch said de Laura wouldn’t play unless he was 100%, it was de Laura who took the kneel-down on the final play of the game against Washington State. Fisch said he decided to roll with Fifita as the starter when he saw de Laura “wouldn’t be able to protect himself in the pocket.”

The Wildcats will head into their bye week at 4-3, and de Laura will have an opportunity to return to full strength. Everyone will be waiting to see what Fisch decides to do on the other side of the off week.

For his part, de Laura seems just as happy for Fifita as anyone.