Stanford holds on for thrilling Sun Bowl victory over North Carolina

In a game that lived up to its hype, 18th-ranked Stanford held off North Carolina for a 25-23 victory.

Stanford had mutliple opportunities to finish off North Carolina in the fourth, but was unable to convert, leaving the door open for a UNC team that nearly staged a last-minute comeback.

UNC opened the scoring on a touchdown pass from Mitch Trubisky to Ryan Switzer to take an early 7-0 lead.

But Stanford resonded with a Bryce Love 49-yard TD reception off a beautiful pass from Keller Chryst.

Chryst, however, would have to leave the game in the second quarter due to a right knee injury.

Stanford was able to convert on three field goal attempts to push the lead to 16-7 in the third.

UNC, however, ran off ten straight thanks to a field goal followed by a Jordan Brown five-yard touchdown run.

But the lead was short-lived as UNC’s Trubisky threw a pick six to give Stanford a 22-17 lead in the third.

Late in the fourth, Stanford had first and goal from the one, but lost four yards on the next three plays. The Cardinal settled for a field goal to take a 25-17 lead.

Trubisky then led UNC down the field on a 97-yard drive, capped off by an incredible throw under pressure to Bug Howard with 25 seconds to play.

However, UNC was unable to protect Trubisky on the ensuing two-point conversion, as Stanford held on for the 25-23 win.

HYUNDAI SUN BOWL GAMETRACKER:

4TH QUARTER:

0:00 – Stanford wins 25-23

0:25 – UNC attempts an on-side kick, but Stanford recovers and will kneel to end the game

0:25 – UNC stuffed on two-point conversion (25-23 Stanford)

0:25 – UNC QB Mitch Trubisky scrambles and finds Bug Howard for a UNC TD (25-23 Stanford pending two-point conversion)

0:34 – UNC incomplete pass on second and goal

0:38 – UNC stopped on first and goal and burns its final timeout

0:50 – Ryan Switzer with a reception down to the Stanford 1

0:56 – UNC’s Bug Howard drops a sure TD in the end zone

1:02 – UNC with a near-miss as Trubisky almost connects with Ryan Switzer in the end zone

1:08 – UNC QB Mitch Trubisky finds Bug Howard for a gain of 44 to the Stanford 28

1:34 – Stanford punts and is able to pin UNC inside its own 5

2:00 – Stanford takes over at its own 35 after a fair catch on the punt

2:48 – UNC stopped after three plays and will likely have to punt

3:23 – UNC will begin at its own 25 after a touchback

3:23 – After another UNC stand, Stanford hits a field goal (25-17 Stanford)

4:22 – UNC stops Stanford on two straight runs from the one, bringing up third and goal

6:06 – Stanford is stopped short on third down, but a facemask penalty gives the Cardinal first and goal

8:08 – Stanford QB Ryan Burns runs for another first down near the UNC 10

9:30 – Stanford pulls out the trick play and converts a 40-yard reverse pass down to the UNC 22

10:40 – UNC punts it away for a touchback

12:23 – UNC QB Mitch Trubisky runs for a big gain to the Stanford 28

– UNC star receiver Ryan Switzer is not in the game – reason currently unknown

14:13 – UNC QB Mitch Trubisky is picked off and Stanford’s Dallas Lloyd returns the interception 19 yards for a Stanford TD (22-17 Stanford after 2-point conversion fails)

14:52 – Stanford chooses to punt and pins UNC back on its own 13

3RD QUARTER:

0:00 – The third quarter comes to an end with UNC leading 17-16

2:09 – UNC’s Jordan Brown caps off the drive with a 5-yard rushing touchdown (17-16 UNC)

2:19 – UNC now has first and goal from the Stanford 5

3:16 – UNC is running the ball well, picking up a pair of first downs on the ground to get close to the red zone

5:21 – Stanford forced to punt; UNC takes over at its own 32

6:56 – Stanford takes over at its own 25 after a touchback

6:56 – UNC answers with a field goal of its own to make it a one-score game (16-10 Stanford)

10:18 – Stanford is able to drive into field goal range and connect on a 43-yarder (16-7 Stanford)

12:11 – UNC misses a 51-yard field goal (13-7 Stanford)

13:45 – UNC QB Mitch Trubisky completes a 28-yard pass to Ryan Switzer to the Stanford 31

15:00 – UNC gets the ball first and will start on their own 25 after a touchback with Stanford leading 13-7

2ND QUARTER:

0:00 – The first half ends with Stanford leading 13-7

0:33 – Stanford converts on a 33-yard field goal (13-7 Stanford)

– Stanford starting QB Keller Chryst will not return to the game

1:52 – UNC QB Mitch Trubisky tucks it and runs but fumbles on the play, recovered by Stanford at the UNC 19

3:19 – Stanford drive stalls thanks to holding and intentional grounding penalties, forcing the Cardinal to punt

5:11 – Stanford is moving the ball well and has crossed into UNC territory

8:35 – UNC is unable to sustain a drive and punts. Ball is downed at the Stanford 8.

10:19 – Stanford unable to convert the turnover into points as a field goal attempt goes off the upright

11:41 – UNC QB Mitch Trubisky has his pass intercepted by Stanford’s Dallas Lloyd who returns the pick to the UNC 20

14:13 – Stanford kicks the ball out of bounds on the kickoff to give UNC the ball on the UNC 35

– Stanford QB Keller Chryst has been carted to the locker room with a right knee injury

14:13 – Stanford connects on a 44-yard field goal (10-7 Stanford)

1ST QUARTER:

0:00 – End of the first quarter; game is tied 7-7

1:30 – Stanford QB Keller Chryst is helped off the field and under evaluation on the sideline

1:30 – Stanford QB Keller Chryst runs for a gain of 8, but is down on the field holding his right knee

1:45 – The touchdown is taken off the board as the refs rule the pass incomplete – ball placed on the UNC 27

1:45 – Stanford QB Keller Chryst completes a 27-yard pass to J.J. Arcega-Whiteside for a Stanford TD, but the play is now under review to see if the ball hit the ground

2:08 – UNC called for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving Stanford a first down at the UNC 27

4:25 – Stanford unable to gain anything on the punt return and will begin its drive shy of midfield at its own 44

5:13 – UNC loses six yards on three plays and will have to punt

5:49 – Stanford stuffs UNC on two straight runs bringing up 3rd and 15 for the Tar Heels

6:04 – UNC returns the kick to their own 18

6:11 – Stanford QB Keller Chryst connects with Bryce Love on a 49-yard touchdown pass to tie the game (7-7)

8:47 – Stanford picks up its initial first down as Keller Chryst finds Dalton Schultz for 17 yards to the Stanford 42

8:58 – Another touchback on the kickoff, so Stanford will once again begin at the 25

8:58 – UNC’s Mitch Trubisky finds Ryan Switzer in the endzone for the a 19-yard score, the game’s first touchdown (7-0 UNC)

10:52 – The game starts to get a bit chippy as Stanford is called for a personal foul for unecessary roughness

12:17 – UNC’s Mitch Trubisky carries the ball to the UNC 45 for the game’s initial first down

13:16 – Ryan Switzer of UNC returns the punt for a short gain to UNC’s 29

13:37 – Stanford goes three-and-out on its first drive and will punt it away.

15:00 – Touchback on the kickoff, Stanford will begin at its own 25

– UNC wins the toss and will defer to the second half