Rutgers Beats Tulane 24-12 In Season Opener

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jawan Jamison ran for a 46-yard touchdown, Brandon Jones returned an interception for a score to lead Rutgers to a 24-12 victory over Tulane on Saturday.

Jamison scored the first points of the game on his long run up the middle with 9:42 left in the second quarter, weaving his way through the Tulane defense.

Tulane managed one sustained drive, settling for a 32-yard field goal at the start of the fourth quarter to pull within 10-6 after moving 69 yards in 17 plays. The next time Tulane had the ball, Jones stepped in front of a pass at the Green Wave 14 and scored easily.

Rutgers tacked on a 43-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to make the score 24-6.

It was the head-coaching debuts for Rutgers' Kyle Flood, who replaced current Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano in January, and Tulane's Curtis Johnson.

Do you think Rutgers has a shot to make a big run this year? Let us know.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)