Alabama Cruises With Big First Half : South: Defending national champion beats Tulane, 31-17, to extend streak to 24 games.

Alabama began defense of its national championship Saturday by piling up 371 yards in the first half and getting two touchdowns each from Sherman Williams and Chris Anderson to beat Tulane, 31-17.

The second-ranked Crimson Tide, 13-0 last season, extended its overall winning streak to 24 games against a team that went 2-9 last season and came in a 35-point underdog.

Tulane, which has lost seven in a row in the series, could take solace in scoring its first points against Alabama since 1964. In the three meetings since then, the Tide had won by a combined 126-0, including 37-0 last season and 62-0 in 1991.

The shutout last season was part of Alabama’s march to a national championship, which culminated with a 34-13 victory over Miami in the Sugar Bowl.

Alabama is trying to become the first school to repeat as No. 1 since the Crimson Tide did it in 1978-79.

Coach Gene Stallings’ offense did fine, but the defense showed it has a way to go to match last year’s unit, which gave up less than 10 points a game and led the nation in three other categories.

Tulane did what only two other teams did in 1992: scored two touchdowns against the Tide. One came on the longest run in school history, a 98-yarder by redshirt freshman Jerald Sowell early in the fourth quarter that stunned the crowd of 83,091 at Legion Field.

Sowell finished with a game-high 138 yards, becoming the first back in almost two years to run for 100 yards against the Tide.

Alabama got two big plays from Kevin Lee to set up its first two touchdowns. On the second play of the game, Lee took a reverse 66 yards to the Tulane five-yard line, and Williams scored three plays later on a one-yard run.

Williams and Anderson went in standing on all four of their touchdowns, which epitomized Tulane’s defensive effort in the first half. The Green Wave tightened up in the final two quarters, giving up only 87 yards.

Alabama outgained the Green Wave, 458-248, rushing for 281 yards. Williams had a career-high 106 yards in 17 carries.

Tulane was hampered by five turnovers. Craig Randall, making his first start after transferring from Michigan, completed eight of 24 passes. He had four passes intercepted.