The Crimson Tide has won the Allstate Sugar Bowl 45-20 over the Kansas State Wildcats.
No. 5 Alabama was favored to win their matchup against Big 12 champion and No. 11 Kansas State despite not making it to the playoffs this season. That said, being favored to win in New Orleans wasn't a guarantee, as proven by the Tide's last two Sugar Bowl appearances.
Alabama offensive lineman Emil Ekiyor Jr. said coach Nick Saban made sure the team knew that history when bowl practices began earlier this month. Ekiyor said the attitude this year has been the complete opposite of the previous attitudes Saban described.
This year's team had been really focused, going the extra mile in practices and workouts, "just treating this game like it's our championship," he said.
That extra work and dedication clearly paid off.
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— Alabama Athletics (@UA_Athletics)
Quarterback Bryce Young passed for 321 yards and five touchdowns in a game that other top NFL prospects might have skipped, helping his team overcome a two-score deficit to defeat the Wildcats.
Jermaine Burton caught three passes for 87 yards and a touchdown for Alabama. Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 142 yards from scrimmage — 76 rushing and 66 receiving. Young's other touchdowns went to Isaiah Bond (6 yards), Cameron Latu (1 yard), Ja'Corey Brooks (32 yards) and Kobe Prentice (47 yards). Jase McClelland added a 17-yard scoring run.
Kansas State had entered their first Sugar Bowl on a four-game winning streak and were riding high after knocking off No. 3 TCU — a CFP team — in the Big 12 title game.
While Battle's leaping interception of Will Howard ended K-State's opening drive on the Alabama 21, the Wildcats scored the Sugar Bowl’s first 10 points, surging in front on Ty Zentner's 41-yard field goal and Vaughn's long run.
Alabama was on the brink of punting a third time when Young, on third and 10, stepped up in a collapsing pocket and flicked a short pass to Gibbs, who was cutting across the middle and turned upfield for a 60-yard gain. Young stepped up similarly to avoid pressure on his touchdown pass to Bond shortly after.
Young threw over the top to Burton for 47 yards to set up his 1-yard scoring pass to Latu that put Alabama in front for good.
Watch Â鶹Çø News at 5, 6 and 9 p.m. for additional coverage of Saturday's game.
Final: Alabama 45, Kansas State 20It’s the Tide’s 10th Sugar Bowl win!
— Max Cohan (@MaxCohan)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
