Stanford Football: 3 reasons to watch 2018 Sun Bowl vs. Pittsburgh

3. Bryce Love will compete with Ollison, Hall for top tailback honors

Two years ago, Bryce Love emerged from the shadow of Christian McCaffrey with a huge day at the Sun Bowl. Last year, he blew up as one of the best running backs in the entire country, ranking second in the FBS behind Rashaad Penny in yards gained and fifth in rushing touchdowns.

Most pundits thought Love would opt to head to the NFL after such a huge season. Instead, he came back to Silicon Valley for his senior season hoping to get back to the Pac-12 championship game and bolster his professional credentials even further. That dream has been largely dashed this year, though, as injuries derailed a chance at another 2000-yards season.

Even topping 1000 yards will require a Herculean effort against Pittsburgh. Love enters the Sun Bowl with 739 yards and only six touchdowns on the year, probably dropping him from a likely first-round back to a second-day selection at best. But Love has one final chance to redeem what has been a disappointing final season on the Farm.

To bolster his pro credentials, Love needs to outduel Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall in the Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Ollison led the Panthers on the ground with 1190 yards in the regular season, finishing just shy of averaging 100 yards per game. Hall was right behind his backfield mate, finishing with 1021 rushing yards.  Between the two, Ollison and Hall split 20 touchdowns on the ground.

For Love to really lock in first-round draft status, he must have the kind of monster game that was a regular feature of his junior year. Ollison and Hall, also seniors, will look to burnish their draft stock as well.