[Albion](https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/albion/)'s season got a six-goal lift-off in the Carabao Cup as three debutants hit the target.
A clinically taken double strike by sub Stefanos Tzimas and curler from Tommy Watson were highlights.
Olivier Boscagli, Brajan Gruda and Diego Gomez were also on target while some fine saves from Jason Steele secured a clean sheet.
Albion went with an all-change XI which included starts for summer signings Diego Coppola and Boscagli at the back, the return of Igor Julio and a full debut for Harry Howell.
Tzimas, Charalampos Kostoulas and Watson were among the subs.
Both teams could have scored in the first two minutes.
Steele made a sharp save from Przemyslaw Placheta as the ball reached him in front of goal.
Albion countered at pace and Gomez, operating in attack with Gruda, was denied by keeper Matt Ingram. He hit his shot with power but had Gruda up alongside him.
The wastefulness of previous games seemed to continue as they blew a great early chance.
Gruda was sent clear down the middle by James Milner, rounded the keeper and for a moment had an open goal.
But then he hesitated as defenders scrambled back and Jack Currie cleared.
Oxford fans cheered the let-off but were claiming injustice as Albion took a 13th-minute lead.
They claimed a foul by Gruda before he found Boscagli still up from a set-piece.
An ambitious shot by the defender took a very helpful deflection off Currie which lifted it over the grasp of Ingram.
Maybe that was the make-your-own-luck sort of help the Seagulls needed for their first open play goal of the season.
The second followed seven minutes later.
_(Image: Richard Parkes)_
Joel Veltman picked out Gruda’s run with a carefully-measured pass hit on the sidefoot volley and the German was not standing on ceremony this time.
He took a touch away from defender Elliott Moore before blasting home his finish.
It was just the platform Hurzeler would have wanted and Albion, for whom Jack Hinshelwood headed at the keeper after a fine move, were in control.
That control was almost loosened late in the half by an error from one of their mainstays of recent seasons.
Veltman gifted Mark Harris a chance with a stray pass intended for Milner on the edge of the Albion box.
From directly in front of goal, Harris blasted his shot at Steele.
The Diegos combined for the third goal on the hour, Gomez with the finish after Coppola had made first contact on a corner.
Changes came on 66 minutes and included the introduction of Tzimas, who needed just six minutes for his dream moment.
Released by a clever pass from Howell, he finished a one-on-one with supreme confidence, grabbed the ball from the net and hoofed it into the away fans.
His second was an equally assured piece of work, passing the ball into the bottom corner from another pass by Howell.
Kostoulas joined the action before play restarted.
But it was Tommy Watson who crowned the evening with a sublime curler into the top corner.
With Steele's array of saves securing his shut-out too, Albion fans lapped it all up.
Albion: Steele; Veltman (Tasker 78), Coppola, Boscagli, Igor; Milner (Kostoulas 78), Hinshelwood (Baleba 66); Howell, Gruda, Kadioglu (Watson 66); Gomez (Tzimas 66). Unused subs: McGill, Lamptey, O’Riley, Simmonds.