Once Alabama’s lead swelled to 35-10 over Kansas State early in the second half of the Sugar Bowl, the curtain call watch for Bryce Young began.

For Nick Saban, the right moment arrived with less than nine minutes on the clock in the fourth quarter.

With the score comfortably in Alabama’s favor at 45-13, it was time for what we can safely assume was Young’s final play wearing crimson.

The junior quarterback walked to his normal place in the shotgun, looked upward at the ceiling of the Superdome, then snapped the ball and handed off to Roydell Williams.

First came right tackle JC Latham, who hopped into the air to bump chests with his quarterback. Then came a dap and a hug with backup Jalen Milroe. By then, the Alabama fans in attendance recognized what was happening.

Young raised his arm in acknowledgement, then was met on the sideline by his top two receivers, Jermaine Burton and Ja’Corey Brooks. A few staffers, including longtime sports medicine director Jeff Allen, embraced the player who etched his name into Alabama history the past two seasons.

“It was a special moment,” Milroe said. “It was very special.”

Almost two years earlier, Young made his entrance when it was Mac Jones’ time for a curtain call. Jones exited in the closing minutes of a national championship game win over Ohio State, effectively passing the baton to Young on the field in Miami.

Young finished the game 15-of-21 for 321 yards and five touchdowns, joining Jones as the only two quarterbacks to throw for five scores in an Alabama bowl game.

Saturday’s moment might not come with quite the same satisfaction for Alabama, which was celebrating a non-playoff bowl win instead of what would have been Young’s first title as a starter. And there was not the same clear-cut transition taking place, as Milroe is expecting to compete with Ty Simpson and two freshmen for Alabama’s starting quarterback job next season.

But as one of Alabama’s four Heisman winners in his history, it was still the end of an era few will forget.

“Yeah, it was definitely a moment for both of us,” Milroe said. “Just to have that moment with him. It was definitely teary eyes, for sure. That’s my brother. We had a relationship beyond football so just to have that moment with him, that one final time, it meant a lot to me.”

As a defensive player, there was not the same opportunity for outside linebacker Will Anderson — whose name will be forever linked to Young’s for their contributions to the program. And for Anderson, who rotated with other pass rushers and did not record any statistics in Saturday’s game, the more under-the-radar end to his college career — as it is widely expected — is perfectly fine.

“I’m an emotional person,” he said. “So for me, it was really not about me, it’s more about my teammates, because they worked so hard these past two weeks. I mean, the practices that we had, all the film study that we had to go through, no school, none of that, and everybody just locked in. To see everybody smiling and laughing and having a good time.

“Just the brotherhood that was in there, I mean, it was amazing. I think that’s why I’m so emotional right now, because all of those guys, they hold a special place in my heart.”

AL.com’s Michael Casagrande contributed to this story.

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.