Itโs beginning to feel a lot like 2012 for the Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona will play New Mexico in theย Dec. 19ย New Mexico Bowl. The game will kick off at 12 p.m.ย and televised on ESPN.
The title sponsor for the bowl game is the same as it was when the Wildcats played in the 2012 game โ clothing manufacturer Gildan.
The game is a return to the Land of Enchantment for Arizona, which rallied to beat Nevada in three years ago.
โWe are looking forward to returning to the Gildan New Mexico Bowl where we have great memories from a few years ago,โ UA coach Rich Rodriguez said in a news release. โItโs especially important to our seniors who will now play in a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season. I know weโre ready to get to work and start preparing for a tough opponent in New Mexico.โ
The Wildcats' trip to the 2012 New Mexico Bowl game was famous, at least for Arizona fans, for kicking off a double-header of Arizona sports that saw the Wildcats win in the afternoon, followed up by a basketball game at McKale Center where Arizona won in a thriller against Florida.
Similarly, Arizona will kick off in the afternoon in Albuquerqueย on Dec. 19. The Wildcats' basketball team will take on UNLV in McKale Center at 7:30 p.m.
That 2012 bowl game, against Nevada, was one of the more exciting games of coach Rich Rodriguezโs tenure at Arizona.
The Wildcats trailed 45-28 heading into the fourth quarter, then outscored the Wolfpack 21-3 in the final period to pull out an impressive comeback victory. Then-quarterback Matt Scott was named the gameโs offensive most valuable player, and linebacker Marquis Flower was the defensive MVP.
New Mexico went 7-5 this season, finishing in second place in the Mountain Westโs Mountain Division. The Lobos are led by coach Bob Davie, in his fourth year at the helm. This is UNMโs first winning season under Davie. He was the coach at Notre Dame from 1997-2001.
There is a familial connection to New Mexico for Arizona as well โ senior safety Will Parksโ brother Delane Hart-Johnson is a sophomore receiver for the Lobos. Hart-Johnson has 10 receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown this season.
The New Mexico Bowl marks Arizona's fourth postseason games in as many years, a program record.ย
"That is a mark of consistency previously unmatched in our program, and we will use this opportunity to build our program as we strive to compete for the Pac-12 Championship in the coming seasons," athletic director Greg Byrne said. "We hope to see many of our fans in Albuquerque on Dec. 19.โ
