Stanford running back Bryce Love says he will sit out Sun Bowl

Stanford running back Bryce Love announced Monday that he will sit out the Sun Bowl game later this month to instead focus on the NFL Draft.

The Cardinal will meet Pittsburgh on Dec. 31 at noon in the annual game.

Love has been battling injuries all year including an ankle injury that kept him out of multiple games.

In 2017 Love ran for 2,118 yards and finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up. However, those injuries in 2018 brought his numbers down significantly as Love ran for just 739 yards.

It’s not the first time a Cardinal running back has decided not to play in the Sun Bowl. Former Stanford star running back Christian McCaffrey sat out the 2016 Sun Bowl game, also citing the desire to focus on the NFL Draft.

Stanford managed to win the 2016 Sun Bowl by a final of 25-23 over North Carolina without their star while McCaffrey went on to be the eighth overall pick in the draft.

Love is still projected as the second-best running back available by ESPN despite his injury issues.