Houston 62, Southern 13: Ryan Jackson ran 10 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns and Daniel Spencer found the end zone three times - all in the second half - to lead the host Cougars to a season-opening rout.

Spencer had nine catches for 102 yards and two TDs and added a 45-yard scoring run early in the third quarter. David Piland completed 15-of-23 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown before sitting much of the second half for Houston (1-0), which is beginning its first season in the new American Athletic Conference.

Dray Joseph was 27-for-36 for 268 yards and two TDs for the Jaguars (0-1), who fell to 0-7 all-time against FBS opponents. His first scoring strike, a 19-yard connection with Samuel Altman with 8:26 left in the first half, pulled Southern within 13-6.

Jackson answered just over two minutes later with a 15-yard TD run and Piland later found Deontay Greenberry from 10 yards out to make it 27-6 at the break. Spencer went untouched on an end-around on the third play from scrimmage in the second half and made it a 28-point game.

Freshman John O'Korn took over for Piland and added a pair of TD passes to Spencer and another to John Leday to break it open. Kenneth Farrow chipped in 97 yards rushing and Justin Hicks had a late touchdown run as Houston outrushed Southern by a 372-104 margin.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Houston has won both meetings between the schools by a combined 117-16 margin. ... Altman and Willie Quinn combined for 10 catches, 151 yards and a pair of TDs for the Jaguars. ... The game was played at Reliant Stadium in Houston, one of three venues the Cougars will call home this season while a new stadium is being built for 2014.