Alabama, Kansas State clash for first time at Sugar Bowl

Sugar Bowl: No. 5 Alabama (10-2) vs. No. 11 Kansas State (10-3), Saturday, Midday Japanese (ESPN)

FanDuel Sportsbook School Line: Alabama by 6 1/2.

Collection document: First assembly.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

Alabama seeks its tenth Sugar Bowl trophy in its seventeenth look within the sport. Kansas State is making its first look within the sport after profitable the Large 12 championship by handing TCU its solely loss this season.

KEY MATCHUP

The Kansas State offensive line towards an Alabama defensive entrance led by All-America exterior linebacker Will Anderson Jr. Wildcats blockers have opened holes for a operating sport averaging practically 210 yards this season and so they’ve allowed simply 19 sacks. Alabama’s protection has held seven opponents to fewer than 80 yards dashing and averages three sacks per sport.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kansas State: RB Deuce Vaughn rushed for 1,425 yards and eight touchdowns and likewise has been efficient as a receiver out of the backfield. He has 1,803 yards from scrimmage and 11 whole TDs this season.

Alabama: QB Bryce Younger, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, handed for 3,007 yards and 27 TDs in 2022 regardless of a shoulder damage that sidelined him for a sport. He’s the primary Alabama QB with consecutive 3,000-yard seasons passing. He normally scrambles to cross, but additionally ran for 11 first downs this season.

FACTS & FIGURES

The star gamers for each groups selected to play as a substitute of opting out to arrange for the NFL draft. … Kansas State is available in on a four-game profitable streak. … Wildcats QB Will Howard has handed for 15 touchdowns towards simply two interceptions and is 5-1 as a starter since stepping in for injured season-opening starter QB Adrian Martinez in late October. Martinez is predicted to be out there for the bowl sport. … Kansas State reached 10 victories for the primary time since 2012 with a 31-28 extra time victory towards No. 3 TCU within the Large 12 title sport. … The Wildcats are 3-2 all-time towards SEC groups in bowl video games. … That is Alabama’s fifteenth consecutive 10-win season, an NCAA document for probably the most double-digit-win seasons in a row, all beneath coach Nick Saban. The streak eclipses a mark beforehand set by Florida State beneath Bobby Bowden. … Alabama is 97-51-4 in impartial web site contests. Since Saban turned coach in 2007, the Crimson Tide is 29-7 in impartial web site video games, however three of the losses got here on the Superdome. … Alabama has dropped three of its previous 4 Sugar Bowls, however in its most up-to-date look defeated Clemson in a School Soccer Playoff semifinal sport en path to a nationwide title for the 2017 season. … Along with being a unanimous All-American, Anderson (17 tackles for loss, 10 sacks) took dwelling 4 nationwide defensive participant awards (Bednarik, Lombardi, Lott and Nagurski).

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