2018 Sugar Bowl


The 2018 Sugar Bowl was a College Football Playoff semifinal bowl game that was played on January 1, 2018 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The 84th Sugar Bowl game, it matched two of the top four teams selected by the Selection Committee to compete for a spot at the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship played on January 8, 2018, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It was one of the 2017–18 bowl games that concluded the 2017 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Allstate insurance company, the game is officially known as the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The contest was televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, with a radio broadcast on ESPN Radio and XM Satellite Radio, with kickoff at 8:00 PM CT.

Teams

The #1-ranked Clemson Tigers, champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference, faced the #4-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, co-champions of the SEC West Division This was the third consecutive year in which Clemson and Alabama met in the CFPs, though the previous two meetings were in the CFP Championship Game.

Game summary

The Crimson Tide immediately took a 10–3 lead at halftime. Alex Spence was the only player to score for the Clemson Tigers with just two field goals. Alabama's defense was a huge factor in the game holding the Tigers to only six points. This matchup was a rematch of the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship in which the Tigers won with quarterback Deshaun Watson leading the team as the game's MVP. The Tigers were not able to perform without Watson and with Kelly Bryant.

Scoring summary

Statistics

StatisticsBAMACLEM
First downs1614
Plays–yards66–26170–188
Rushes–yards42–14133–64
Passing yards120124
Passing: Comp–Att–Int14164
Time of possession32:1127:49

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
BAMAPassingJalen Hurts16/24, 120 yds, 2 TD
BAMARushingDamien Harris19 car, 77 yds
BAMAReceivingCalvin Ridley4 rec, 39 yds, 1 TD
CLEMPassingKelly Bryant18/36, 124 yds, 2 INT
CLEMRushingTravis Etienne4 car, 22 yds
CLEMReceivingDeon Cain6 rec, 75 yds