After a big scare in the second half, Arizona hung on against New Mexico to win, 45-37, in the New Mexico Bowl, finishing with a winning record, 7-6, on the season. The Wildcats got a big performance from star linebacker Scooby Wright, and an efficient offense helped them seal the deal.
New Mexico Bowl final score: With Scooby Wright back, Arizona beats New Mexico, 45-37
The Wildcats sure liked having their star back.
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The first half was a fairly tight and competitive game, with the teams traded scores all the way into halftime. Anu Solomon had three first half touchdown passes, including a 78-yarder to Cayleb Jones. While Arizona primarily used the passing game to move the ball, New Mexico stuck with the running game. Quarterback Lamar Jordan only attempted nine passes in the entire game and was the team's leading rusher in the game with 135 yards on 21 carries.
It was starting to look like Arizona was pulling away in the third quarter, building their lead to 42-24, but New Mexico wasn’t giving up that easily. Lamar Jordan punched in his third rushing touchdown of the day to make it 42-35. However, Jordan went down with an injury, requiring backup Austin Apodaca to come in. He led the Lobos down the field, but a fourth down sack by none other than Scooby Wright proved to ultimately be the dagger.
Here are three things to know from the game:
1. Arizona sure liked getting Scooby Wright back
Wright, a preseason All-American, absolutely dominated the first half of the game, even with the rest of the defense struggling, and he came up with the Wildcats’ biggest play of the game, sacking quarterback Austin Apodaca on fourth down with six minutes left. He finished with two sacks, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and 15 tackles overall.
Wright played in only two games all year due to injuries, and Arizona’s defense sure could have used him. The Wildcats’ defense gave up 5.96 yards per play, ranking 94th in the country, and Wright could have won them a few more games. But in the game he could come back for, he was dominant. Now the question is whether he’ll leave for the NFL.
2. Lots of points!
There were a lot of points in this one, and they came in very different ways. Arizona was explosive, with three rushing touchdowns of at least 14 yards, and a 78-yard bomb from Solomon to Cayleb Jones. New Mexico did it a completely different way. The Lobos run the triple option out of the pistol, and they rushed fro over 300 (!!!) yards. They proved they could pass it, too, when backup quarterback Austin Apodaca came in. The styles were different, but it was fun on both sides.
3. New Mexico’s future is bright
This was New Mexico’s first bowl game since 2007, and the Lobos certainly played like they deserved to be here. They were unstoppable in the second half before Jordan went out, and they’ve found success behind Jordan and the triple option, with a lot more to come, as Jordan is just a sophomore.
Bob Davie’s program got big wins over Boise State, Utah State and Air Force this season, and they came up just short against Arizona. That’s more success than this program has tasted in nearly a decade, and the program seems to be back on track.
See More:
