Wildcats to face Lobos in New Mexico Bowl

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona will face New Mexico in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, N.M., on Saturday, Dec. 19.

The Wildcats (6-6) will make their second appearance in the bowl, after they prevailed 49-48 in a thrilling comeback win over Nevada in 2012. The victory capped head coach Rich Rodriguez's first season with the program, and the latest bowl appearance gives the Wildcats four consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history.

"We are looking forward to returning to the Gildan New Mexico Bowl where we have great memories from a few years ago," Rodriguez said. "It's especially important to our seniors who will now play in a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season. I know we're ready to get to work and start preparing for a tough opponent in New Mexico."

New Mexico (7-5), making its first bowl appearance since 2007, will host the Wildcats in a postseason return game of sorts, after Arizona hosted the Lobos in the 1997 Insight.com Bowl, which was played at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats captured a 20-14 victory that season in the only other postseason meeting between the schools.

This year's trip to Albuquerque will mark Arizona's 20th all-time bowl appearance (8-10-1), including the seventh in the last eight seasons. The Lobos will be the third Mountain West Conference bowl opponent in the last four years for Arizona. Along with the victory over Nevada in 2012, the Wildcats fell to Boise State in the 2014 VIZIO Fiesta Bowl.

Arizona enjoys a 43-20-3 advantage in a series of longtime regional rivals. New Mexico has won the previous two meetings going back to the 2007 and 2008 regular seasons.