Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young took over where he left off last season, throwing for five touchdowns and rushing for another in less than three quarters to lead top-ranked Alabama to a 55-0 dismantling of Utah State in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday.
Young, who went 18-for-28 passing for 195 yards, threw two touchdowns to Jermaine Burton, who finished with five receptions for 35 yards in his first game with the Crimson Tide (1-0).
Burton transferred from Georgia, where he was a key receiver during the Bulldogs’ run to the national title in January.
Young, who also rushed for a career- and team-high 100 yards and a touchdown on five carries, threw two touchdown passes to Traeshon Holden (five catches, team-high 70 yards) and another to Jase McClellelan, who also caught a scoring pass from back-up quarterback Jalen Milroe.
Alabama outgained the Aggies (1-1) 559-136 and held Utah State to just seven first downs, 23 fewer than the Crimson Tide.
Alabama jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first 12 minutes.
After Will Reichard opened the scoring with a 45-yard field goal 5:04 into the game, Young threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Burton and a 9-yarder to Holden on the Crimson Tide’s next two possessions.
Young threw his third touchdown pass of the night early in the second quarter, when his 2-yard strike to Burton capped an 11-play, 82-yard drive for a 24-0 lead.
Alabama found the end zone again a little more than two minutes later when Holden caught a 14-yard touchdown pass for a 31-0 lead with 10:14 left in the half.
Reichard extended the advantage to 34-0 with a 33-yard field goal with about three minutes left in the second quarter.
Young tossed his fifth touchdown pass of the half when he hit McClellan with an 8-yard strike for a 41-0 lead with 15 seconds left before halftime.
Young pushed the lead to 48-0 when he scored on a 4-yard run with 13:38 left in the third quarter.
Milroe replaced Young on the next possession and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to McClellan for a 55-0 lead with 10:18 left in the third.
Jahmyr Gibbs, who transferred from Georgia Tech during the offseason, rushed for 93 yards on nine carries, while Milroe went 8-for-10 passing for 76 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
–Field Level Media