Young finishes Bama career with bang in Sugar Bowl win

NEW ORLEANS – Bryce Young’s decision to vote in the Sugar Bowl only increased his chances of cashing in as a pro.

Young passed for 321 yards and five touchdowns in a game that other top NFL prospects may have missed, and No. 5 Alabama responded to an early two-score deficit with 35 straight points to defeat 11th-ranked Kansas State 45-20 on Saturday.

“For me it’s just doing everything I can to help the team,” Young said. “We are proud of how we play and how we prepare – we want to finish, we want to push ourselves and hold each other accountable.”

While some pro-bound college stars came out of bowl games that weren’t part of the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide and Wildcats had the best prospects on the field for the Sugar Bowl and they made some memorable plays – from Young’s pivotal pass to Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn’s 88-yard touchdown run to interceptions by Alabama’s Jordan Battle and Brian Branch.

“These guys send a message to everybody that you create your own value by playing football,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “It speaks to your character when you choose to be a part of your team and you can be considered a part of your team, regardless of the situation.”

With the game in the fourth quarter, Young was ceremonially replaced, raising his right hand to the loud Alabama fans as the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner ran to the sideline.

Kansas State coach Chris Klieman asked members of the Alabama staff to thank him for playing.

“This is what college football is all about. I love how Bryce plays,” Klieman said. “It’s great for college football and great for the kids to see.”

Jermaine Burton caught three passes for 87 yards and a touchdown for Alabama (11-2). Running back Jahmyr Gibbs has 142 yards from scrimmage – 76 rushing and 66 receiving. Young’s other goals 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 score.

“We have a little bit of a taste in our mouths if we have a dominant performance, it will show people that we deserve to do better than we did in terms of our playoff picture,” Saban said. “But I’m most proud that there’s a team out there that cares.”

Kansas State (10-4) enters its first Sugar Bowl on a four-game winning streak and is riding high after knocking off No. 3 TCU – a CFP team – in the Big 12 title game.

Although Battle’s interception leap from Will Howard ended K-State’s opening drive at the Alabama 21, the Wildcats scored the first Sugar Bowl 10 points, surging in front on Ty Zentner’s 41-yard field goal and Vaughn’s long.

Alabama was on the brink of a third punt when Young, on third and 10, stepped up in a collapsed pocket and flicked a short pass to Gibbs, who cut right up the middle and turned up the field for 60 yards. Young stepped up to avoid pressure on a touchdown pass to Bond shortly after.

Young threw over the top to Burton for 47 yards to set up a scoring pass to Latu that put Alabama in front for good.

Kansas State drove to Alabama’s 2 last in the first half – Converting two fourth-downs along the way – only to fail on fourth-and-goal when Howard threw out of reach to tight end Ben Sinnott, who broke open after Will Anderson fell while trying to cover him.

“I would do it again,” Klieman said. “I wouldn’t second guess myself.”

Young needed just 51 seconds to produce another touchdown, completing passes of 12, 28 and 22 yards before hitting Burton from 12 yards out to make it 21-10 at halftime.

“That was a big swing in the game,” Saban said.

Kansas State paid for another risk when an onside kick to open the second half was recovered by Alabama, which scored shortly after Young’s strike to Ja’Corey Brooks in the corner of the end zone.

“We came here to win, man,” Klieman said. “We’re not here to try to keep this thing going.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Kansas State: Howard completed 18-of-35 passes for 210 yards. Vaughn rushed for 133 yards on 22 carries. Jordan Schippers had a late 1-yard TD run.

Alabama: The Tide upended the narrative that did not get up for low stakes bowl game, having lost by two touchdowns in each of the previous two Sugar Bowls that were not part of the BCS or CFP. Alabama has now won 10 Sugar Bowls in 17 appearances.

UP NEXT

Kansas State: It opens its 2023 campaign at home against Southeast Missouri on Sept. 2.

Alabama: Host Middle Tennessee on Sept. 2 to kick off the 2023 season.