Sights and Sounds From Alabama's Season-Ending Sugar Bowl Win
The No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide football team secured a 45-20 win over No. 9 Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl on Saturday.
The victory at the Caesars Superdome helped Alabama finish 11-2 on the season.
The Crimson Tide fell behind early with Kansas State gaining a 10-0 lead in the first 12 minutes. The Tide countered with 35 unanswered points to make it a 35-10 game before the Wildcats narrowed the gap on a field goal late in the third. Alabama then put the game well out of reach thanks to a touchdown to close out the third quarter and a field goal from Will Reichard early in the fourth.
Quarterback Bryce Young was named the game’s Most Valuable Player with an impressive five-touchdown effort. The junior finished an efficient 15-of-21 for 321 yards to go with the five scores. He connected with seven different receivers overall, five of which scored a touchdown. Tight end Cameron Latu led in receptions with five for 54 yards and a score while Jermaine Burton paced UA in yards at 87 on his three catches, adding a touchdown of his own.
Jahmyr Gibbs highlighted the Tide running backs with 15 carries for 76 yards followed by Jase McClellan who rushed seven times for 42 yards and a score. Gibbs also added two receptions for 66 yards and a pair of kickoff returns for 31 yards to total a game-high 173 all-purpose yards.
The Crimson Tide defense intercepted two passes while limiting the Wildcats to only 210 yards through the air. Jordan Battle picked off the first pass and finished with nine total tackles, including half a stop for loss.
Brian Branch recorded Alabama's second pick and paired the turnover with 12 tackles, including a sack and a game-high four tackles for loss. DeMarcco Hellams led all defenders with 13 stops.
“There was a team out there today that cared – cared about how they played; cared about the pride they had in their performance; cared about each other – and they prevailed because of that," head coach Nick Saban said. "I think that (mentality) started way back when we started practice. There are a lot of guys on this team, including these two guys that are sitting next to me (Will Anderson Jr. and Bryce Young) that have given a lot to this program. The way the team performed out there together as a group, they had something to prove.”
See Also:
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Everything Coach Chris Klieman and Kansas State Said After Sugar Bowl Loss to Alabama
