Stanford Grinds Out 2018 Sun Bowl Win in Defensive Struggle vs. Pitt

Overcoming a slow start on offense, Stanford rode its hard-hitting defense and a fourth-quarter touchdown from Cameron Scarlett to a 14-13 victory over Pittsburgh in the 2018 Sun Bowl. 

The Cardinal's go-ahead score seemingly happened by accident. Quarterback K.J. Costello was trying to run into the end zone on a keeper, but he fumbled the ball forward into the waiting arms of Scarlett. 

On a day when virtually nothing was going right for Stanford's offense, that good fortune was a welcome sight for the team. Head coach David Shaw's squad didn't have a third-down conversion through three quarters and managed just 208 yards overall but somehow found a way to win.

Costello had difficulty navigating things against Pitt's defense all game. The junior had a season-low 105 passing yards, completed a season-worst 35.3 percent of his attempts and still gets credited with the win.

Hank Waddles of GoMightyCard.com summed up how things looked early for the Cardinal with this stat from the first quarter:

One big reason for Stanford's struggles was the absence of star running back Bryce Love. The senior announced on Dec. 17 he would sit out the bowl game in order to prepare for the 2019 NFL draft. 

Scarlett, who is also a senior, finally got his moment in the spotlight after being relegated to second-string duties throughout his college career. The Oregon native had the best game of his career with 22 carries for 94 yards and both Cardinal touchdowns. 

Despite a strong day on the ground, especially from Darrin Hall, Pitt's offense stagnated because Kenny Pickett couldn't get anything going through the air. He finished 11-of-29 for 136 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions 

Hall anchored the Panthers' rushing attack with 123 yards and one touchdown on 16 attempts. The team finished with 208 yards on the ground, despite losing leading rusher Qadree Ollison in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury. 

Stanford was uncharacteristically sloppy on defense early, allowing Hall to break free on this 47-yard gain in the first quarter that set up a field goal:

The play action allowed Pickett to create one big play for the Panthers through the air:

Unfortunately, Pitt couldn't take full advantage of that 41-yard gain and had to settle for a field goal. The offense had one more drive when it was able to get into Stanford territory, but Alex Kessman's 55-yard field-goal try came up short. 

Even though this wasn't the end Pittsburgh and head coach Pat Narduzzi were hoping for, there were many positives to take away from 2018. The Panthers played in the ACC Championship Game for the first time since the conference adopted a title game in 2005 and nearly upset Notre Dame in October. 

In a similar vein, this wasn't the season Stanford was counting after starting it ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll. Shaw rallied his team after a 5-4 start to win their last four games and reach at least nine victories for the fourth straight year. 

The Cardinal's big question for 2019 will be replacing Love in the backfield. Based on Shaw's consistency since taking over the program eight years ago, don't be surprised if his team is back in the Pac-12 title mix very soon.