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UNC Football: Christian McCaffrey to sit out vs. Tar Heels
Alabama Crimson Tide

UNC Football: Christian McCaffrey to sit out vs. Tar Heels

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:34 a.m. ET

Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey makes his decision for the Sun Bowl

The North Carolina Tar Heels chances in the Hyundai Sun Bowl just got a little better.

Just days before the Tar Heels and Stanford are set to kickoff in El Paso, one Cardinal has decided not to play in the game.

Junior running back Christian McCaffrey announced that he will sit out the Sun Bowl game to be played on Dec. 30. McCaffrey released a statement on Monday morning, saying that he is focusing on his preparation for the 2017 NFL Draft.

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Here’s what he said via Twitter:

Just a week or so ago, we detailed the game plan for the Tar Heels stopping McCaffrey in the game and how they could win. McCaffrey is the biggest threat on Stanford’s offense, so not facing him is a big positive for the Tar Heels.

But even without McCaffrey, UNC’s defense must come to play.

They cannot allow Stanford to establish the run early and beat them down the field with playaction passes.

McCaffrey’s rise came in 2015 as he shattered Barry Sanders’ NCAA single-season record for all-purpose yards. The sophomore racked up 3,864 yards and finished second to Alabama’s Derrick Henry in the Heisman Trophy race.

Check back with us for more coverage leading up to the game.

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