Sun Bowl Recap: Stanford holds on for 14-13 win over Pitt
The Stanford Cardinal are no strangers to close finishes in recent Sun Bowl games.
The Cardinal held on to beat Pitt by a final of 14-13 Monday afternoon to win their second Sun Bowl in the past three seasons. They also defeated North Carolina in the 2016 game by just two points.
Stanford got a fortunate bounce in the fourth quarter that turned the tide. Down 13-7 and looking to cap off a lengthy drive, Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello fumbled the ball on a keeper. However, Cardinal running back Cameron Scarlett was in the right place at the right time in the end zone and secured the fumble recovery for what proved to be the game-winning score.
Scarlett would be named the game’s MVP after rushing for 94 yards on 22 carries and recording both of his team’s touchdowns. He filled in admirably for Bryce Love, Stanford’s top back, who sat out the game to focus on the upcoming NFL Draft. Scarlett previously had not tallied more than nine carries in a game this season.
“Thankfully I had an opportunity in front of me, and my goal was just to capitalize on it the best that I could,” said Scarlett. “And I’m just thankful, really thankful to the whole offense, the offensive line, and tight ends to allow me to be able to become MVP.”
Pitt was looking to bounce back from their last showing in the Sun Bowl, which was a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Oregon State in 2008.
The Panthers ran the ball well, racking up 208 yards rushing as a team with 123 of those yards coming courtesy of Darrin Hall, who also scored Pitt’s lone touchdown in the second quarter on a six-yard run.
“You know, when you look at the stats, it almost makes me want to fall over,” said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. “And again, I give Stanford credit. But I look at our 208 yards rushing to their 103. I look at our 344 total yards to their 208.”
Although the game was low-scoring, both teams were solid when it came to ball security. Neither team lost a fumble nor did they throw a pick.
Pitt ends the season with a 7-7 record while Stanford pushed its final mark to 9-4.
Total attendance at the game was 40,680, which is slightly up from the 39,897 that attended the 2017 game between North Carolina State and Arizona State. However, Monday’s total is down from the 42,166 that watched Stanford win the game in 2016.
