JB Brown, left, was part of an Arizona defensive line that dominated up front against Colorado on Friday.

 Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

Every week throughout the season, we’ll take a look back at the Arizona Wildcats’ previous game after re-watching it via the TV broadcast. Here are five key takeaways from the UA’s 42-34 victory over Colorado on Friday:

1. DESTRUCTIVE D-LINE

Defensive tackles Dereck Boles and PJ Johnson absolutely wrecked the interior of the Colorado offensive line. Boles and Johnson repeatedly penetrated the CU backfield, to an extent well beyond their box-score stats would suggest. Having both of them healthy and in shape makes all the difference for the UA defense. Not only do they clog the middle – the Wildcats limited the Buffaloes to 40 net rushing yards – but they create opportunities for everyone around them. Pass rushers such as JB Brown and Jalen Harris rarely if ever face double-teams. Linebackers Colin Schooler and Tony Fields II often have a clear path to ball-carriers. The defensive line as a whole got off the ball better and faster than it has all season. As a result, Marcel Yates didn’t have to dial up as many blitzes to get consistent pressure on Colorado QB Steven Montez. It wasn’t there in every passing situation – third-and-long again was a sore spot – but Arizona made Montez uncomfortable often enough to disrupt his timing with his receivers. Washington State, whom Arizona visits after its bye, is a different beast. But if you can get pressure with only four rushers, you at least have a chance.

2. TALENTED TATE

Forgive us if you’ve heard this before: Khalil Tate is an extraordinarily talented quarterback. He isn’t always technically sound, and he’s far from a finished product. But no QB in America makes better throws on the run than a healthy Tate. Two examples stand out. The first was Tate’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Shun Brown late in the first half. Facing immediate pressure up the middle, Tate scrambled to his right. On the dead run, he fired a 95-mph fastball to Brown in the end zone between two defenders. In the third quarter, Tate felt pressure from blitzing Colorado linebacker Nate Landman, whom J.J. Taylor had upended. Tate rolled to his left and threw what basically amounted to a jump pass 40-plus yards downfield to Shawn Poindexter for a 39-yard TD. The problem with all that is Tate believes he can make any play and sometimes tries to do too much. He had had so much success scrambling and hitting receivers on the run that he figured he could hit Taylor sprinting down the right sideline in the fourth quarter. Colorado safety Derrion Rakestraw could see what was coming, however, and made an easy interception. Given the score and time remaining, Tate should have thrown the ball out of bounds. Even the most talented quarterbacks have to manage the game sometimes.

3. THE LITTLE THINGS

Amid all the amazing plays by Tate and Taylor, it was easy to gloss over a handful of key sequences in the first half that helped put Arizona in position to win. The train almost careened off the tracks in the first quarter. But the defense stepped up in a big way. Instead of trailing 21-0, Arizona was down by only 10 after a rocky start. Two plays stood out the most. On fourth-and-2 from the UA 6-yard line, safety Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles read jet sweep and stuffed K.D. Nixon. After a 59-yard punt return to the Arizona 14, Colorado came away empty. On second-and-goal from the 5 – following Taylor’s fumble at the 7 – Flannigan-Fowles again displayed excellent eye discipline. After JB Brown pressured Montez, Flannigan-Fowles tracked him down for a 3-yard sack. Montez missed an open Kabion Ento on third-and-goal, and the Buffs had to kick a field goal. The other sequence happened at the end of the first half. Cedric Peterson neatly fielded a squib kick and returned it 28 yards to the UA 42. Despite only 25 seconds remaining in the half, Arizona could try for a score with that field position. Shun Brown somehow knew to step out of bounds with one second left at the end of a 21-yard completion. Lucas Havrisik’s 55-yard field goal gave the Wildcats a 26-24 lead.

4. THIS TIME IT’S PERSONNEL

Each week we provide some notes on individual players, so here goes … Taylor’s clinching 15-yard run on third-and-9 from the UA 2 was remarkable. Linebacker Rick Gamboa hit him at the 7. Taylor used his right hand to keep his balance and gain an additional 10 yards. … One word to describe tight end Bryce Wolma’s blocking: inconsistent. … Peterson showed quickness and speed on his 57-yard catch-and-run TD that he hadn’t previously displayed in a game in his UA career. … Center Josh McCauley has come a long way since the start of the season. He won’t overpower anyone, but, similar to guard Christian Boettcher a year ago, McCauley has learned to use angles to create openings. … Harris continues to add layers to his game. He used perfect technique to help break up a third-down pass in the fourth quarter. … Linebacker Colin Schooler showed incredible acceleration on a pair of behind-the-line tackles of Montez. … Safety Scottie Young Jr. appeared to injure his right shoulder on the hit that knocked him out of the game in the second quarter. … Antonio Parks and Thomas Reid III threw key blocks on Peterson’s kickoff return.

5. THE POSSIBILITIES

Kevin Sumlin's Wildcats are back in the thick of things in the crowded Pac-12 after upsetting Oregon and knocking off Colorado at home.

How quickly things can change. Two weeks ago, Arizona looked dead, or at least gravely ill. Now the Wildcats are … tied for first place in the Pac-12 South? Say what? It’s true. Or mostly true, anyway. Utah owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with Arizona. So does USC. But the Utes’ loss to Arizona State – a game in which they also lost quarterback Tyler Huntley to a shoulder injury – opens the door for the Wildcats. A lot of things have to happen, including Arizona winning out, Utah losing at least once more and USC stumbling somewhere along the way. But at least it’s possible. Kevin Sumlin and his staff deserve a ton of credit for continuing to push this team when they easily could have decided it was time to rebuild. The most realistic outcome remains 6-6 with a trip to the Sun, Vegas or Cheez-It bowls. Pullman is always a tough place to play – in particular in late November against a team that’s legitimately playing for a Rose Bowl berth. But the Wildcats will be well rested and will have had two weeks to prepare for Mike Leach’s unique offense. Crazier things have happened. In the Pac-12 South, they happen weekly.

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Contact sports reporter Michael Lev at 573-4148 or mlev@tucson.com. On Twitter @michaeljlev