Frosh-led Alabama rolls over Trojans
True freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes to ArDarius Stewart and ran for two more scores, and top-ranked Alabama opened its national championship defense with a 52-6 victory over No. 20 Southern California on Saturday night in Arlington, Texas.
Stewart was wide open in the end zone behind the secondary when Hurts hit him for a 39-yard score midway through the second quarter that made it 7-3.
Right after halftime, Hurts found Stewart alone near the Alabama 40 and the receiver sprinted up the right sideline untouched for a 71-yard touchdown and a 24-3 lead. USC punter Chris Tilbey bobbled the snap on the ensuing drive to set up Alabama at the Trojans 15 and lead to Hurts’ TD run.
Clemson 19, Auburn 13
In Auburn, Ala., Deshaun Watson passed for 248 yards, including 174 to Mike Williams in his return from an injury, and No. 2 Clemson escaped with a victory over Auburn.
Ohio State 77, Bowling Green 10
J.T. Barrett threw six touchdown passes and No. 6 Ohio State rolled up a school record 776 yards in a romp over Bowling Green in Columbus, Ohio.
Eight players scored touchdowns on offense as the Buckeyes overpowered the Falcons.
The 776 yards topped the 718 yards Ohio State put up against Mount Union in 1930.
Michigan 63, Hawaii 3
In Ann Arbor, Mich., Wilton Speight threw three touchdown passes in the first half and No. 7 Michigan went on to rout Hawaii for its most lopsided victory since 1975.
It was Michigan’s most decisive win since beating Northwestern by 69 points four decades ago.
Washington 48, Rutgers 13
In Seattle, No. 14 Washington raced to a 24-0 first-quar- ter lead and were never threatened by the rebuilding Scarlet Knights, in their first game under new coach Chris Ash.
Jake Browning threw for 277 yards and all three scores in the first half as the Huskies built a 34-3 lead. Browning should have thrown four TDs in the half, but Darrell Daniels dropped a pass in the end zone late in the second quarter.
Texas A&M 31, UCLA 24, OT
Trevor Knight, a graduate transfer from Oklahoma, threw for 239 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores, including one in overtime, to lead Texas A&M past No. 16 UCLA in College Station, Texas.
Georgia 33, North Carolina 24
In Atlanta, Nick Chubb rushed for 222 yards in his return from a gruesome knee injury, including a 55-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter that clinched No. 18 Georgia’s victory over No. 22 North Carolina in Kirby Smart’s debut as the Bulldogs’ coach.
Florida 24, UMass 7
In Gainesville, Fla., Luke Del Rio threw two touchdown passes in his first career start, and No. 25 Florida beat UMass and extend the nation’s longest winning streak in season openers to 27.
Nebraska 43, Fresno State 10
In Lincoln, Neb., the lasting memory of Nebraska’s victory over Fresno State will be how everyone inside Memorial Stadium came together to remember the Cornhuskers’ fallen punter, Sam Foltz, who died in a July car crash.
The Huskers draped Foltz’s No. 27 jersey at the end of their bench, and after they went three-and-out on their first possession, they lined up with 10 players and no punter.
The crowd stood and responded with loud cheers and applause as the play clock wound down, with Fresno State’s players joining them in the salute. When Nebraska was flagged for delay of game after the play clock expired, Fresno State declined the penalty.
Navy 52, Fordham 16
Navy pulled a quarterback out of the stands Saturday, finding an unlikely replacement for injured starter Tago Smith in a victory over Fordham in the season opener in Annapolis, Md.
Freshman Malcolm Perry was told to suit up and take over after Smith was lost to a knee injury early in the second quarter. Perry, who started the junior varsity game Friday after being sick most of the week, put together a 90-yard-drive in the fourth quarter that led to a 23-yard field goal.