Young fuels Alabama’s comeback
Bryce Young passed for 321 yards and five touchdowns in a game that other top NFL prospects might have skipped, and No. 5 Alabama responded to an early two-score deficit with 35 consecutive points to defeat ninth-ranked Kansas State 45-20 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Saturday.
While a number of probound college stars sat out bowl games that were not part of the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide and Wildcats had their best prospects on the field and they were making a number of memorable plays — from Young’s pivotal passes, to Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn’s 88-yard touchdown run to interceptions by Alabama’s Jordan Battle and Brian Branch.
Young was substituted out during a series in the fourth quarter, raising his
right hand to Alabama fans who loudly rose to their feet as the former Heisman Trophy winner trotted to the sideline.
Jermaine Burton caught three passes for 87 yards and a touchdown for Alabama (11-2). Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 142 yards from scrimmage — 76 rushing and 66 receiving. Young ’s other touchdowns went to Isaiah Bond (six yards), Cameron Latu (one yard), Ja’Corey Brooks (32 yards) and Kobe Prentice (47 yards). Jase McClelland added a 17-yard scoring run.
Kansas State (10-4) entered its first Sugar Bowl on a four-game winning streak.
Iowa 21, Kentucky 0:
Joe Labas threw for 139 yards and a touchdown in his first start and Iowa posted the first shutout in the Music City Bowl’s 24-year history in Nashville.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz capped his 24th season by matching the late Joe Paterno for the most bowl victories among Big Ten coaches with his 10th. This was the Hawkeyes’ second shutout in a bowl game, following the 1996 Alamo Bowl, and the first by a Big Ten team since Penn State beat Texas A&M in the 1999 Alamo Bowl.