Stanford vs. North Carolina, 2016 Sun Bowl: Time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know

Stanford and North Carolina play in the Sun Bowl on Friday, a day before New Year’s Eve. It’s a pretty good-looking bowl game between two distinctly good but not great times that seem to match up about evenly. The Cardinal are slim favorites in Las Vegas, while the S&P+ projection model sees almost a dead-even tossup.

The game’s big subplot is that it’s Stanford’s first since star running back Christian McCaffrey announced he’d turn pro after his junior year. McCaffrey isn’t playing in the Sun Bowl as he embarks on his draft preparation, which is controversial in some circles. Sophomore Bryce Love should see a lot of work in McCaffrey’s absence, and he’ll probably do well. UNC’s run defense isn’t good, and Love averages 7.4 yards per carry –- more than a yard better than McCaffrey, even.

It might be the last college game for UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky, a junior who could be a high first-round pick in the 2017 draft. And McCaffrey isn’t the only missing running back, as Carolina’s Elijah Hood also won’t play.

TV: 2 p.m. ET Friday, CBS. The announcers are Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, and Allie LaForce. Nessler replaces Verne Lundquist, who retired from football broadcasting after the Army-Navy game earlier this month.

Radio: Team and Team

Online streaming: CBS Sports

Spread: Stanford is favored by about a field goal.

Make friends: SB Nation’s Rule of Tree covers Stanford, while Tar Heel Blog covers North Carolina.

1. Stanford should run well. Weird as it is sounds, Love isn’t such a huge drop-off from the brilliant McCaffrey. He only has 90 carries across 11 appearances, but he’s acquitted himself well in them, and he only has to fill in for one game right now. North Carolina gives up 4.6 yards per carry and ranks 87th in S&P+ against the run. If the Cardinal don’t move the ball efficiently on the ground, it’ll come as a real surprise.

2. North Carolina should lean on the pass-rush. Stanford is a terrible 125th nationally in Adjusted Sack Rate allowed. UNC doesn’t get a ton of sacks — 22 in 12 games — but Stanford gives up 2.6 per game and doesn’t protect Keller Chryst well at all. The Stanford passing offense is bad, and if North Carolina can bother Chryst, it can give itself a significantly better chance against the run, where the Heels are at a disadvantage. That’s the chess match at play in this game.

3. Trubisky against the Stanford defense is a good matchup. The Cardinal have had some injury issues in their secondary this year, but they’ve mostly defended the pass well. If this is Trubisky’s last hurrah in a Heels uniform, it sets up like a pretty entertaining one. The Cardinal are 30th against the pass in S&P+, while the UNC offense is 18th. The Sun Bowl isn’t the Playoff or the New Year’s Six, but Trubisky against the Stanford D shapes up as one of the better duels we’ll have going.