By Garin Turner
The 2022 Allstate Sugar Bowl pits the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) against the No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats (10-3) on New Year’s Eve at noon EST on ESPN in New Orleans. The big question in this game is will Alabama show up and be motivated? 10-2 is a great year for most teams but Alabama isn’t most teams. They’re used to playing in the College Football Playoffs and for the championship. The two loses cost them this year against then No. 6 Tennessee and then No. 10 LSU.
No. 9 Kansas State has won its last four games including the Big 12 Championship game against college football semifinalist and No. 3 TCU 31-28. The Wildcats almost beat TCU earlier in the year but couldn’t hold onto the lead eventually losing 38-28. QB Will Howard will get the start for the Wildcats in the bowl game. He replaced an injured Adrian Martinez and has led his team to a high stakes game. Martinez could see some action in the game which the Crimson Tide will have to account for. Before going down with the injury, Martinez threw for 1,261 yards and six touchdowns. He’s second on the team in rushing attempts (109), yards (615), and first in TD runs (10).
Howard has thrown for 1,423 yards and 15 touchdowns to just two INTS. Leading the Wildcats in rushing yards is Deuce Vaughn with 1,425 yards on 271 attempts. Vaughn has eight scores.
Kansas State’s defense will have its hands full with QB Bryce Young, a Heisman Finalist. Young threw for 3,007 yards and 27 touchdowns for Alabama. Jahmyr Gibbs and Jase McClellan lead the way for the Crimson Tide’s rushing attack. Gibbs has 850 yards on 136 attempts with seven touchdowns. McClellan has 613 yards on 105 attempts and six touchdowns.
