Louis left fielder Matt Holliday has a broken right thumb and will be p

AUBURN, Ala. -- Deshaun Watson and Clemson pick up where they left off last season -- sort of.The second-ranked Tigers open against another Southeastern Conference team from the state of Alabama, visiting Auburn Saturday night hoping to resume their pursuit of a national title and, perhaps, a Heisman Trophy for Watson.They finished an otherwise unblemished season with a 45-40 loss to Alabama in the national championship game. Watson was at his playmaking best in racking up nearly 500 total yards against one of the nations top defenses.The task now will be to beat an Auburn team seeking redemption after a disappointing season.Its a big challenge out of the gate for us, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.Not so big as the one Swinneys Tigers faced to finish off last season. Auburn opens picked to finish sixth in the Southeastern Conference Western Division after flopping last season amid much higher expectations.Auburn also lost its top three rushers from last season to a dismissal, a transfer and an early entry into the NFL draft. The receivers are mostly unknown, and Sean White won a renewed quarterback battle after throwing one touchdown pass in five starts last season.It makes for a tough opening challenge for coach Gus Malzahns team. Swinney points out that openers carry a certain amount of mystery for both sides.There are a lot of unknowns, he said. They have players we dont know a lot about, and we have players they dont know a lot about. You dont ever really know until you see a team for two or three games.---Here are some things to watch in the Clemson-Auburn matchup:WATSONS ENCORE? Watson enters the season among the favorites to win the Heisman after a third-place finish. His 478-yard performance passing and rushing in the title game was nearly enough to pull off the win. Their quarterback is one of the best players in college football, if not the best player, Malzahn said.AND AUBURN? White beat out Jeremy Johnson and junior college transfer John Franklin III to emerge as the starter. Of the three, Franklin is the biggest rushing threat and could potentially play in a Wildcat role though Malzahn has been mum on the pecking order behind White. White has impressed Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables. Hes a quality, quality player, Venables said. He beat out Deshaun at the Elite 11 for top quarterback. Hes got that `it. Hes a very good leader, all the qualities that you love. The intangibles, his toughness, his confidence, he makes everybody around him better.SEEING STEELE: Swinney will face one of his former defensive coordinators in Kevin Steele, now leading Auburns defense. Steele spent three seasons under Swinney and helped the Tigers to the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference title. But soon after Clemson was embarrassed 70-33 by West Virginia in the Orange Bowl, Swinney fired Steele and replaced him with Venables. Steele skipped his normal session with reporters this week.TAILBACK COMPARISONS: Wayne Gallman is coming off a school record-setting season, 1,500-yard season for Clemson. Auburn is high on Kerryon Johnson but he had only 52 carries as a freshman, vaulting to the starting spot when Jovon Robinson was kicked off the team in preseason camp.GETTING DEFENSIVE: Auburn has struggled defensively in recent seasons but Steeles side of the ball might be the teams strength. Veteran defenders Carl Lawson, Montravius Adams and Johnathan Ford are all back and joined by Illinois graduate transfer T.J. Neal at linebacker.---AP Sports Writer Pete Iacobelli contributed to this report. Authentic Soccer Jerseys . 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CHICAGO -- St. Louis left fielder Matt Holliday has a broken right thumb and will be put on the 15-day disabled list after getting hit by a pitch in the Cardinals 4-3, 11-inning loss to the Cubs.Reliever Mike Montgomery plunked the seven-time All-Star with a 94 mph fastball on a 1-1 count with two outs and nobody on in the 10th on Thursday night.The Cardinals said they dont yet know the extent of the injury. Holliday will meet with a hand specialist Friday morning in Chicago and then return to St. Louis.Holliday immediately grabbed his right hand. He walked to first base accompanied by the trainer before leaving the field.Holliday said he had a pretty good idea soon after he was hit that his thumb was broken. X-rays showed the fracture. He said its too early to predict whether the injury will end his season.?I dont know anything other than that its fractured, but I doubt it, he saaid.ddddddddddddSt. Louis is 13 games behind the Cubs in the National League Central, but the Cards are in the wild-card hunt.Montgomery said it wasnt on purpose and he was just trying to pitch inside.Holliday, 36, is in the final season of a seven-year, $120 million contract. The team holds a $17 million option on him for 2017. He is batting .242 with a .768 OPS. He and Brandon Moss are tied for the team lead with 19 home runs.Holliday has batted third in 85 of the Cardinals 115 games this season. In his absence, players such as Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham figure to get more playing time.Its super disappointing, but its part of the sport, unfortunately, Holliday said.Information from ESPNs Mark Saxon and The Associated Press was used in this report. ' ' '