It was a disaster of epic proportions.
The Trojans started strong, but imploded after that as the Crimson Tide rolled over No. 20 USC, 52-6, in the College Football opener on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The reigning National Champions and No. 1 ranked team in the country got off to a slow start, but capitalized off every USC mistake, scoring 38 unanswered points at one point as they blew out a Pac-12 powerhouse in the Trojans.
The Tide turned for Bama when they inserted backup quarterback Jalen Hurts with 2:37 remaining in the first quarter. Hurts fumbled on the read option in the first play of his collegiate career, but was electrifying and unstoppable for the remainder of the game.
After the Trojans marched 44 yards for a field goal in the opening drive of the game, the Men of Troy's offense stalled like traffic on the 405 freeway, as the Alabama defense feasted on first-year starter Max Browne.
Browne finished 14-for-29 for 101 yards and an interception, but never had a chance to showcase his talent as the frontline of Alabama had him smothered and contained all night.
Blake Barnett started at quarterback for the Tide, but after back-to-back punts, he was replaced by Hurts. The freshman recovered from his disastrous start and recorded his first career touchdown with a 39-yard strike to ArDarius Stewart that put the Tide on the board.
The Tide continued to roll as they added a field goal and a pick-six from Marlon Humphrey that gave Alabama the lead at halftime 17-3.
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Nick Saban's team picked up where they left off in the second half, opening the third quarter with another long touchdown pass from Hurts to Stewart.
A defensive mishap for the Trojans saw both the cornerback and safety blitz on the same play, leaving Stewart wide-open as he sprinted down the sidelines for a 79-yard touchdown.
Stewart finished with four catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns overshadowing star wideout Calvin Ridley who was held to just two catches for 9 yards.
Hurts was 6-for-11 for 118 yards, with two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble. The dual-threat quarterback also rushed for 32 yards and two touchdowns.
Running back Damien Harris led Alabama's rushing attack finishing with nine carries for 138 yards.
Steven Mitchell Jr. had four catches for 22 yards for the Trojans and Ronald Jones II led USC with 45 yards on the ground.
All of USC's offense came from junior Matt Boermeester who converted two field goals for the Trojans.
Revenge was sweet for former USC head coach and current Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin who was famously fired abruptly by Pat Haden at the LAX airport in 2013.
Players of the Game:
Jalen Hurts: 118 yards, 2 TD; 32 yards rushing, 2 TD
ArDarius Stewart: 113 receiving yards and 2 TD
Three Takeaways:
1. This one Hurts: Alabama freshman quarterback, Jalen Hurts, became the first player with multiple touchdown passes and rushing touchdowns against a USC defense in 20 years.
Jalen Hurts is 1st player with multiple pass TD & rush TD vs USC in last 20 yrs#RollTide #USCvsBAMA pic.twitter.com/qsWZVhorIr — LivingCrimson (@LivingCrimson) September 4, 2016
2. Shot to the Groin: USC took a metaphorical shot to the groin after inside linebacker, Jabari Ruffin gave an Alabama player a literal shot to the groin in the second quarter. Ruffin was penalized and ejected, giving the Trojans terrible field position that led to a pick six the following play.
#USC IL #40 Jabari Ruffin ejected after this incident. pic.twitter.com/92P6dlVWvi — USCFootball.com (@ThePeristyle) September 4, 2016
3. Programs! Get Your Programs! The matchup of two of College Footballs best programs in perennial powerhouses USC and Alabama took place on Saturday night. The two schools have a combined 27 National Championships and 19 Heisman Trophy Winners between them.
Two schools. 27 total titles. 19 total Heisman winners. Stars past and present.#USCvsBAMA pic.twitter.com/avnEKyBGrd — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 4, 2016
Up Next:
USC (0-1): The Trojans host Utah State in the home opener at the L.A. Coliseum on Saturday, September 10 at 11:00AM PST.
Alabama (1-0): The Tide will roll on to play Western Kentucky University next Saturday in what should be a cake walk for the reigning National Champions.
