Alabama awakens; Iowa rolls

NEW ORLEANS — Bryce Young passed for 321 yards and five touchdowns in a game other top NFL prospects might have skipped, and No. 5 Alabama responded to an early two-score deficit with 35 straight points to beat No. 11 Kansas State 45-20 in the Sugar Bowl on Saturday.

While a number of probound college stars sat out bowl games that weren’t part of the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide (11-2) and Wildcats (10-4) had their best prospects on the field and making memorable plays — including Young’s pivotal passes, Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn’s 88-yard TD run and interceptions by Alabama safeties Jordan Battle and Brian Branch.

Young was substituted out in the fourth quarter, raising his right hand to Crimson Tide fans who loudly rose to their feet as the former Heisman Trophy winner trotted to the sideline.

Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton caught three passes for 87 yards and a TD, and Crimson Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 142 yards from scrimmage — 76 rushing and 66 receiving. Vaughn ran for 133 yards on 22 carries.

K-state entered its first Sugar Bowl on a four-game win streak and was riding high after knocking off No. 3 Texas Christian — a CFP team — in the Big 12 title game.

While Battle’s leaping interception of Will Howard ended the Wildcats’ opening drive on the Alabama 21, K-state scored the first 10 points on Ty Zentner’s 41yard field goal and Vaughn’s long run.

The Tide were 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 60 yards. Young stepped up similarly to avoid pressure on his 6-yard TD pass to wide receiver Isaiah Bond shortly after.

Music City Bowl

■ Iowa 21, Kentucky 0:

At Nashville, Tenn., safeties Xavier Nwankpa and Cooper Dejean had second-quarter interception returns for TDS of 52 and 14 yards, respectively, and the Hawkeyes (85) notched the first shutout in the bowl’s 24-year history.

Joe Labas threw for 139 yards and a TD in his first collegiate start, and Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz capped his 24th season by matching Joe Paterno for the most bowl wins among Big Ten coaches with his 10th.

The Wildcats (7-6), who had won a program-record four straight bowls, were outgained in yards of offense 206-185 despite their nine-minute edge in possession time.

Butch Dill The Associated Press Alabama wide receiver Kobe Prentice eludes Kansas State safety V.J. Payne on a 47-yard TD catch during the Crimson Tide’s 45-20 victory Saturday.