Stanford's defense was exhausted after carrying its team's weight for the entirety of Friday's Hyundai Sun Bowl, and North Carolina ripped off a furious 10-play, 95-yard touchdown drive in the final seconds to set up a dramatic ending.
But Solomon Thomas dug deep to make the decisive play. The Cardinal's star defensive lineman ripped through the line of scrimmage on the Tar Heels' two-point conversion attempt, spurring a sack to hold off North Carolina's charge.
Stanford won 25-23, logging a third straight bowl victory for the first time in program history.
The Cardinal lost their hold on the Pac-12 crown with three straight league defeats early in the season, but they've capped 2016 on a six-game win streak to end the year on a good note.