Derrick Henry rushed for 147 yards with three touchdowns and No. 3 Alabama ran away with a 35-17 victory over No. 20 Wisconsin in the season opener for both teams Saturday night.
Jake Coker got the starting nod at quarterback for the Crimson Tide, and was 15 of 21 passing for 213 yards and a touchdown while playing until late in the third quarter.
In former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst’s first game as the Badgers’ head coach, they were held to 40 yards rushing. Wisconsin had averaged 264 yards per game on the ground over the previous five seasons.
The game was played in the Dallas Cowboys’ NFL stadium where the Crimson Tide had wanted to finish last season in the first College Football Playoff championship game.
Alabama’s last national title was in 2012, a season that began in the same kickoff game with a 41-14 victory over No. 8 Michigan.
Associated Press
