Young throws for 5 TDs, Tide top Kansas St. in Sugar Bowl
NEW ORLEANS — 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 twoscore deficit with 35 straight points to defeat 11th-ranked Kansas State 45-20 in the Sugar Bowl 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 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 (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 (10-4) entered its first Sugar Bowl on a four-game winning streak and was 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 up field 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.
Late in the first half, Kansas State drove to the Alabama 2 — converting two fourth-downs along the way — only to fail on fourthand-goal when Howard threw out of the reach of tight end Ben Sinnott, who was breaking open after Will Anderson fell while trying to cover him.
That missed chance proved costly.
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.
Kansas State paid for taking another risk when its onside kick to open the second half was recovered by Alabama, which scored shortly after on Young’s 32-yard strike to Ja’Corey Brooks in the corner of the end zone.
Music City Bowl:
Joe Labas threw for 139 yards and a touchdown in his first start and the Iowa Hawkeyes posted the first shutout in the Music City Bowl’s 24 years by beating Kentucky 21-0. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz also capped his 24th season by matching the late Joe Paterno for the most bowl victories among Big Ten coaches with his 10th. Iowa (8-5) got a bit of payback for ending last season losing to Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl after a late comeback by the Wildcats. The Hawkeyes’ defense outscored its offense, returning two interceptions for TDs in the second quarter. The Hawkeyes finished the season with their fifth win in six games. Kentucky (7-6) lost for the third time in four games, this time without quarterback Will Levis and running back Chris Rodriguez as both opted out to prepare for the NFL draft.
Note: Brigham Young University offensive lineman Sione Veikoso was killed in a construction accident in his hometown in Hawaii, family members said. Veikoso, 22, died Friday after a retaining wall he was helping repair during holiday break from school collapsed, his family confirmed.