Stanford will head to Sun Bowl to face North Carolina.
Riding five-game win streak, Stanford to face top QB Trubisky, UNC
Stanford is heading to the Sun Bowl — back to the Sun Bowl — where it will face ACC representative North Carolina.
Kickoff is Dec. 30 at 11 a.m.
The Tar Heels (8-4), who beat Miami and Florida State, feature highlyacclaimed quarterback Mitch Trubisky, a potential first-round target of the 49ers. “To put ourselves in position to get to a bowl game from where we were at the midpoint of the season, we’re very excited for the opportunity,” coach David Shaw said Sunday.
The Cardinal (9-3) struggled early but finished the season on a fivegame winning streak.
It was eligible for a berth in the Holiday Bowl, but the bid instead went to Washington State.
The Cougars claimed a head-to-head victory over Stanford and, bowl officials believe, provide better prospects for ticket sales.
Stanford could have gone to the Foster Farms Bowl at Levi’s Stadium, but the 49ers, who run the game, opted instead for Utah.
“We’re not in the business of worrying about how we got to where we are,” Shaw said.
Stanford last played in El Paso at the end of the 2009 season, at the beginning of its return to national prominence.
The Cardinal was No. 18 in the final College Football Playoff rankings released Sunday morning.