1996 Sun Bowl

The 1996 Norwest Sun Bowl, played on December 31, 1996, featured the Stanford Cardinal and the Michigan State Spartans.

Stanford scored first following a lateral from running back Josh Madsen to Leroy Pruitt. The 78 yard play went for a touchdown, and set the day for a Stanford rout. In the second quarter, quarterback Chad Hutchinson threw an 8 yard touchdown pass to fullback Jon Ritchie for a 14–0 lead. Adam Salina scored on a 1 yard touchdown run before halftime to increase Stanford's lead to 21–0.

Kevin Miller added a 24 yard field goal in the third to give Stanford a 24–0 lead. Damon Dunn later scored on a 1 yard run moving the lead to 31–0. Stanford's final points came on a 6 yard return of a blocked punt for a touchdown, making the final score 38–0.