How other big teams fared

No. 1 Alabama 52, No. 20 USC 6

ARLINGTON, Texas ( AP) — Freshman Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes to ArDarius Stewart and ran for two more scores, and topranked Alabama opened its national championship defense with a 52-6 victory over No. 20 Southern California on Sept. 3.

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.

The season-opening win came at AT&T Stadium — the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys — was also where the Crimson Tide started their 2012 and 2015 national championship seasons with victories.

Alabama is 10-0 in season openers under coach Nick Saban.

No. 15 Houson 33, No. 3 Oklahoma 23

HOUSTON (AP) — Brandon Wilson went end line to end zone for a touchdown with an Oklahoma missed field goal and Houston beat the Sooners, looking every bit ready to compete in the Big 12.

Regardless of whether Houston ends up in the Big 12 if the conference expands, coach Tom Herman’s Cougars made an opening statement that could have season-long ramifications.

Wilson provided the key play in the biggest regular-season nonconference game the Cougars have played in 25 years. When Oklahoma kicker Austin Seibert’s 54-yard field goal attempt came up just short, Wilson reached up to catch the ball while barely keeping his feet in bounds. Reminiscent of Auburn’s Kick Six against Alabama in 2013, Wilson came flying out of the end zone, hit the sideline and hurdled a teammate to score what went into the books as a 100-yard return that made it 26-17 with 8:28 left in the third.

Greg Ward Jr. passed for 321 yards and two touchdowns for Houston.

Baker Mayfield threw for 323 yards and two scores for Oklahoma.

Wisconsin 16, No. 5 Lsu 14

GREEN BAY, Wis. ( AP) — Rafael Gaglianone kicked a 47-yard field goal with 3:47 left, and Wisconsin staved off LSU’s desperate last-ditch drive.

LSU’s frustration was on full display at the end of the game, when offensive lineman Josh Boutte was ejected for a flagrant foul after a blind-side hit on Wisconsin’s D’Cota Dixon after the safety sealed the victory with an interception with 57 seconds left.

Heisman Trophy hopeful Leonard Fournette ran for 138 yards on 23 carries, but limped off on his final carry for LSU, a 15-yard run with less than 2 minutes left.

No. 2 Clemson 19, Auburn 13

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Deshaun Watson passed for 248 yards, including 174 to Mike Williams in his return from an injury, and Clemson escaped with a victory over Auburn.

Clemson struggled to put the away the opener even though Auburn produced little offense for much of the game while swapping three quarterbacks in and out. Finally, Watson hit former walkon receiver Hunter Renfrow in the back of the end zone on third and goal from the 16 with 9:59 left in the fourth quarter.

Ben Boulware’s subsequent goal line interception only provided a temporary reprieve for a team that made the national championship game last season. Auburn finally got a touchdown with 3:22 left on a 9-yard direct snap run by Kerryon Johnson and Clemson’s failed fourth-down try deep in Auburn territory set up another shot with 40 seconds and 85 yards to go.