SAN ANTONIO – When Jedd Fisch took the Arizona job, the Wildcats ended their previous season with a 70-7 loss to Arizona State and it felt like there wasn’t a lower point in the program’s history.
Fisch’s first season included a loss to NAU and somehow the program seemed to be in an even lower place than when Fisch took the job. In order to get the program turned around, Fisch asked those around him to believe in his vision and noted that it would likely take some time.
After Thursday’s 38-24 win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, Fisch’s vision took center stage.
“It means a lot,” Johnson said. “There were some dark times that first year. 1-11 is never fun. The building is rough to go to just day in and day out. I believed in Coach Fisch, believed in the coaches he brought in and the people we had in the building. U of A is home, and this win means everything. We came a long way, and this whole team, the whole staff, the whole facility deserves it.”
Noah Fifita committed to Arizona when the Wildcats were 1-11 and built his trust up with the coaching staff through the recruiting process and his time on campus.
“I think the biggest thing for me and the thing that I’ve been emphasizing the most is trust, and the biggest blessing this year is my coaches, my teammates trusting in me the way they did,” Fifita said. “There was a lot of times that I was struggling and our offense was struggling because of me and nobody flinched, nobody doubted me, so I really appreciate that. Being able to trust Coach Fisch, trust play calls, trust our preparation, that’s the biggest thing I’ve been emphasizing since I’ve taken over the job.”
