2018 Sugar Bowl

2018 Allstate Sugar Bowl
College Football Playoff Semifinal at the 84th Sugar Bowl
2018 Sugar Bowl trophy
Alabama Crimson Tide Clemson Tigers (11–1) (12–1) SEC ACC 24 6 Head coach:  Nick Saban Head coach:  Dabo Swinney AP Coaches CFP 4 4 4 AP Coaches CFP 1 1 1
1 2 3 4 Total Alabama 10 0 14 0 24 Clemson 0 3 3 0 6
Date	January 1, 2018
Season	2017
Stadium	Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Location	New Orleans, Louisiana, US
MVP	Jalen Hurts, QB Da'Ron Payne, DT
Favorite	Alabama by 3.5
Referee	Land Clark (Pac-12)
Halftime show	Bands from Participating Schools
Attendance	72,360
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Announcers	Joe Tessitore, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe, and Laura Rutledge (ESPN) Bill Rosinski, David Norrie and Ian Fitzsimmons (ESPN Radio)

The 2018 Sugar Bowl is a College Football Playoff semifinals bowl game that was played on January 1, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. This 84th Sugar Bowl game 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 to be 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 (9:00 PM ET).

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 (along with Auburn who won head-to-head over Alabama.) This is the third consecutive year in which Clemson and Alabama have met in the CFPs, though the previous two meetings were in the CFP Championship Game.

Notes

• January 1, 2018 – The Rose Bowl in Pasadena hosted the other semi-final game; Georgia defeated Oklahoma 54–48 in double overtime

This was Alabama's first Sugar Bowl win of the Nick Saban era. This was also their first win in a Sugar bowl since 1993 against Miami. The Tide had lost games in the 2008-2009,2013-2014, and 2014-2015 football/bowl seasons. (The Tide beat LSU at the site of the Sugar Bowl in the 2011-2012 season. However, that was the BCS National Championship Game, not the Sugar Bowl.)

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

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP BAMA CLEM 1 5:23 10 47 5:24 BAMA 24-yard field goal by Andy Pappanastos 3 0 1 0:12 8 46 3:34 BAMA Calvin Ridley 12-yard touchdown reception from Jalen Hurts, Andy Pappanastos kick good 10 0 2 10:00 13 54 5:03 CLEM 44-yard field goal by Alex Spence 10 3 3 12:45 4 -5 2:03 CLEM 42-yard field goal by Alex Spence 10 6 3 5:40 7 27 3:38 BAMA Da'Ron Payne 1-yard touchdown reception from Jalen Hurts, Andy Pappanastos kick good 17 6 3 5:27 BAMA Interception returned 18 yards for touchdown by Mack Wilson, Andy Pappanastos kick good 24 6 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. - -

Statistics

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Crimson Tide	10	0	14	0	24
No. 1 Tigers	0	3	3	0	6

Statistics	BAMA	CLEM
First downs	16	14
Plays–yards	66–261	70–188
Rushes–yards	42–141	33–64
Passing yards	120	124
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	141	64
Time of possession	32:11	27:49

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
BAMA	Passing	Jalen Hurts	16/24, 120 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Damien Harris	19 car, 77 yds
	Receiving	Calvin Ridley	4 rec, 39 yds, 1 TD
CLEM	Passing	Kelly Bryant	18/36, 124 yds, 2 INT
	Rushing	Travis Etienne	4 car, 22 yds
	Receiving	Deon Cain	6 rec, 75 yds