ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Arizona Wildcats got their best defensive player back in the nick of time Saturday afternoon.

Junior linebacker Scooby Wright, who had missed most of the season with injuries, returned to the Arizona lineup and led the Wildcats to a 45-37 victory over the New Mexico Lobos in the New Mexico Bowl.

"I'm proud of my guys, we had a lot of adversity this year," Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said. "We finished it off with a win on the road, a bowl win. That our seniors can finish with a winning record is a pretty neat thing."

Wright finished with 15 tackles (11 solo) and two sacks and had the biggest defensive play of the game late in the fourth quarter, all en route to the biggest decision of his career to date.

"I'm healthy, that was the first thing, I was just playing the way I usually play," Wright said. "I've decided that I'm entering the 2016 NFL Draft. I feel like I've accomplished everything I wanted to in college and I feel like this is the right point."

The Lobos (7-6), trailing 42-37, were driving deep into Wildcats' territory with a chance to go ahead. After a misplay on a pitch attempt left New Mexico facing a fourth-and-12, Wright sacked Austin Apodaca to give Arizona (7-6) the ball on the 38.

"We thought he was going to be a great player when we signed him," Rodriguez said of Wright. "I don't know why the other teams didn't. He's done everything he can to make himself better every year.

"Scooby Wright is a talented guy that loves football but he's also one of the hardest working football players I've had the pleasure of coaching."

The Wildcats methodically drove down the field after the takeaway, killing the clock all the way. Casey Skowrown kicked a 37-yard field goal for an eight-point advantage with 1:32 left.

New Mexico's final drive ended when Cam Denson intercepted Apodaca with 35 seconds left.

The Lobos lost despite a commanding advantage in time of possession (40:52 to 19:08).

"We knew that we were going to be limited in possessions and possession time because of the offense they run," Rodriguez said. "They did a great job."

Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon was 13-for-24 for 329 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Cayleb Jones caught four passes in the first half for 182 yards and a touchdown, taking advantage of the Lobos' man-to-man coverage.

"We weren't surprised," Solomon said. "Cayleb and all the wide receivers did a great job of getting open so I could get them the ball."

Jared Baker added 107 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries.

"It was a game of their big plays," Lobos coach Bob Davie said. "You think of the big throws, the long throws, the quarterback scrambling, staying alive."

New Mexico quarterback Lamar Jordan was just 3-for-9 passing for 110 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, but he ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries before leaving in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.

Apodaca had pulled the Lobos to within 42-37 with a 4-yard touchdown run, his first of the season, just 1:08 into the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats then drove down the field quickly, only for their drive to stall out. Casey Skowrown missed a 36-yard field goal to give New Mexico the chance to get back into the game.

"Our guys will fight, play with a lot of heart," Davie said. "I think people probably recognized that across the country today watching that. I couldn't be more proud of our team, the way they competed."

Arizona seemingly put the game away early in the third quarter on Baker's 32-yard scoring run just 1:04 into the period to make it 35-17.

The contrast of Jordan the runner and Jordan the passer was apparent on two of the next three series. He ran for an 11-yard touchdown run to keep New Mexico alive. Two series later, he was intercepted, giving the Wildcats the ball at the Lobos' 4-yard line.

Baker scored another touchdown to make it 42-24, but the Lobos still would not go away.

Jordan scored another touchdown and New Mexico then recovered an onside kick to move into Arizona territory as the quarter came to an end.

NOTES: Lobos coach Bob Davie has a past connection to Arizona. His first full-time coaching job was as the Wildcats' linebackers coach from 1978-79. ... This was the 67th all-time meeting between the Lobos and Wildcats, though only the second meeting in a bowl game. Arizona defeated New Mexico 20-14 in the 1997 Insight.com Bowl in Tucson. Overall, the Wildcats lead the series 44-20-3, though the Lobos won the last two regular-season meetings in 2007 and 2008. ... The matchup had multiple familial connections. Arizona senior defensive back Will Parks is the brother of New Mexico sophomore WR Delane Hart-Johnson. Wildcats sophomore DE Calvin Allen IV is the son of former Lobos offensive lineman Calvin Allen III, who played in Albuquerque from 1992-95.