The Stanford Cardinal on Friday are gearing up for their final football contest of 2016, but they will be without the services of their superstar tailback.
Christian McCaffrey decided on Dec. 19 not to suit up for this year's Hyundai Sun Bowl in order to dedicate his undivided attention to NFL Draft preparation.
Regardless, football is still to be played in El Paso, Texas for the Peninsula-based team. Stanford will kick off the 83rd annual Sun Bowl at 11 a.m. against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.
The 16th-ranked Cardinal enter Friday's contest boasting a 9-3 record, including a five-game unbeaten streak. The unranked Tar Heels representing the Atlantic Coast Conference come in at 8-4, a mark good enough to finish second in the conference's coastal divison.
In McCaffrey's absence, sophomore running back Bryce Love is expected to receive a bulk of the carries and the spotlight for Stanford. On the other side of the field, UNC's Mitch Trubisky — a junior quarterback heavily touted as an early pick in the upcoming NFL Draft — will be looking to impress professional scouts.
Stanford last appeared in the Sun Bowl back in 2009 against the Sooners from the University of Oklahoma. The Cardinal were upended 31-27.
North Carolina's four appearances in the second oldest bowl game has resulted in an even 2-2 split.
