Michael Lev: 5 takeaways from No. 17 Arizona’s 42-18 victory over No. 22 Utah

Jedd Fisch had a huge grin on his face as entered the media room at Arizona Stadium on Saturday. He had plenty of reason to smile.

Fisch’s 17th-ranked Arizona Wildcats had just handled No. 22 Utah 42-18. They ended a six-game losing streak against the Utes while extending this year’s win streak to five.

Arizona is 8-3, 6-2 in the Pac-12, and it’s all happened faster than anyone could have imagined — except perhaps Fisch, who knew he had something special as far back as training camp.

It’s been incredible to watch “the build” unfold in real time, with one stirring performance after another. Here are my top five takeaways from the once-woebegone Wildcats’ latest win:

1. Safeties first

Entering the season, safety was one of the most uncertain positions on the UA roster. The Wildcats had multiple candidates for the two main spots, but no one had truly distinguished himself as a standout.

That has changed in a major way in the ensuing months.

Dalton Johnson and Gunner Maldonado were Arizona’s leading tacklers vs. Utah and the Wildcats’ most impressive defenders. Johnson was a menace around the line of scrimmage, totaling two tackles for loss, including one sack. Maldonado was a rock on the back end; his pass breakup on fourth-and-3 from the UA 40 in the third quarter was one of the most important plays in the game.

It’s hardly the first time those two have shined. They’ve improved almost every week. Johnson and Maldonado have gone from question marks to sure things. If they get their hands on you, you’re going down.

“When you’re a safety, you either play fearful that the ball is gonna be over your head, or you play with confidence that you’re up to go out there and make tackles and get involved in plays,” Fisch said. “I think they’re just playing with great confidence.”

Like so many other Wildcats, Johnson and Maldonado have come so far, so fast. What a turnaround.

2. T-Mac the Swiss Army knife

Fisch said earlier in the week that he thought Tetairoa McMillan was the “best receiver in the country.” I don’t think that’s true ... yet. But I’m also hesitant to put a ceiling on McMillan, because his potential is boundless.

I predicted McMillan would have a breakout season back in March, and he has delivered and then some. At worst, he’s one of the best receivers in the country as a true sophomore. He’ll contend for the Biletnikoff Award next year before being a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Book it.

McMillan has gotten better in every aspect over the past year, from route-running to running after the catch to blocking. It’d be an overstatement to say he was one-dimensional as a freshman, but he certainly wasn’t well-rounded. Now he is.

McMillan can run the full route tree. He can break tackles. He can catch passes in traffic. He can even throw the ball!

I watched McMillan play “QB” during early warmups, throwing passes to actual quarterbacks Noah Fifita and Jayden de Laura, who were guarding each other. I didn’t think much of it.

Then, in the first quarter, Fifita fired a lateral to McMillan, who dropped back and lofted a perfect pass to Michael Wiley in the right corner of the end zone for the game’s opening touchdown. McMillan also caught eight balls for 116 yards and a score.

McMillan is such a natural. Pac-12 Networks showed a clip of him making all kinds of crazy one-handed catches.

But McMillan refuses to rely on his God-given talent. He has worked on his craft. It’s paying off big time.

3. A TD for JDL

An interesting situation developed in the game’s waning moments.

Utah regained possession with 3:27 remaining, down 35-10. Kyle Whittingham kept his starters in and tried to score. The Utes succeeded. They also tried and executed a 2-point conversion, followed by an onside kick attempt.

Fisch countered by having de Laura throw a deep pass. He connected with McMillan for a 51-yard score that had members of the press box cackling.

I don’t blame Whittingham for having his team fight until the bitter end, even though the outcome was decided. Nor do I fault Fish for having de Laura go long as a countermeasure. It didn’t seem like Whittingham cared either.

The Pac-12 Networks cameras immediately panned to the two coaches, expecting demonstrative reactions. None were forthcoming.

You only get 12 shots a year at this thing, 13-14 if you’re lucky. Why not keep playing ball?

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Concerning de Laura specifically, he clearly means a lot to Fisch. I understand that some of you don’t care for de Laura because of his off-field situation as a teen, and that’s fine; I respect your stance.

But it was a cool gesture on Fisch’s part to give de Laura a parting shot in what was likely his last home game as a Wildcat.

“I’m sure it meant a lot to him,” UA tackle Jordan Morgan said. “I looked back after he threw it, and he was so excited, that smile on his face.”

4. Men in blazers

Bowl representatives were on the premises at Arizona Stadium. It’s been a minute since Tucson hosted their ilk.

The ones listed on the press-box seating chart were from the Alamo, Holiday and Sun bowls. I also heard that Fiesta Bowl reps were in the building. Some of them were yukking it up with Fisch and other UA athletic department members after the news conference.

With the penultimate Pac-12 regular-season slate complete, we have some clarity on Arizona’s postseason possibilities. Here’s how I see it all playing out:

Oregon and Washington will hold serve in their rivalry games this weekend and face each other in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The winner will advance to the College Football Playoff. The loser will play in the Fiesta Bowl.

Arizona will blow out Arizona State, finish in third place in the conference — how ’bout that? — and be selected for the Dec. 28 Alamo Bowl.

Other bowls remain in play, and it would be an insane experience if the Wildcats landed in the Las Vegas Bowl — on the same day the UA men’s basketball team plays FAU in Vegas. But the Alamo Bowl is next in the pecking order after the CFP and the New Year’s Six, and Arizona has earned it.

5. Fisch’s future

Fisch’s opening remarks included this line: “I think we might as well put the season tickets on sale for next year on Monday. Let’s see if we could get six sellouts and see if we can have one heck of a home-field advantage again.”

Does that sound like someone who doesn’t plan to be here next year?

I bring this up because Rivals reported Friday night that Fisch has interviewed for the Michigan State opening. Fisch denied the veracity of that report to the Star.

I’m not going get into the he-said, he-said minutiae here. But ask yourself this: Is Michigan State a better job than Arizona?

Aside from money — which is always a factor in our capitalistic society — it is not. At best, you’re the fourth-best program in the Big Ten behind Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. And now you’ve got Oregon, USC and Washington joining the league. Good luck with that, Sparty.

UCLA, should it come open, could be an appealing job for Fisch, but I’m not sure that’s better than Arizona either. There are pluses (weather, beach) and minuses (cost of living, traffic) to living and recruiting in L.A. But if it’s going to be hard for MSU to compete in the bigger, better Big Ten, just imagine what it’s going to be like for UCLA, which was a middling program in the Pac-12 before the league got good again.

Arizona, meanwhile, is joining a bigger but weaker Big 12 that’s adding the “Four Corners” schools but losing Oklahoma and Texas. With all those studs from the UA’s class of 2022 becoming juniors next year, the Wildcats can win that league.

Why would Fisch leave now?