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OXFORD — The Miami University football team came into its season opener Thursday, Aug. 28, boasting a talented defense with three Butkus Award candidates.

The Vanderbilt Commondores came into the game and said, "So what?"

Led by senior quarterback Chris Nickson, Vanderbilt rolled up 360 yards of offense on the way to a 34-13 victory at Yager Stadium.

The Commodores got 269 of those yards on the ground, with Nickson rushing for a career-high 166 on 20 carries. Nickson scored two touchdowns on the ground and threw for one to lead the Commodores to their biggest road win since 1991.

The last time a Miami team gave up more than 34 points in an opener was 1978, a 38-14 loss to Ball State.

Early to rise

Thursday's game equaled the earliest start to a season in the 121-year history of Miami football.

The RedHawks also opened the 2004 season on Aug. 28, beating Indiana State 49-0 at Yager Stadium.

All totaled, Miami has played 10 games in the month of August, going 6-4.

Long return

Vanderbilt's biggest play of the game, both figuratively and literally, was D.J. Moore's 91-yard punt return.

Moore caught Jake Richardson's punt at his own 8-yard line, breaking the universally accepted standard of never fielding a punt inside the 10. Moore shook a couple of early tackles and then raced up the right sideline before slowing up at the Miami 10 to wait for a final block. Because of that, he was caught from behind and brought down at the 1.

The return was the second longest in Vanderbilt history, and it set up a Nickson touchdown run that gave the Commodores a commanding 17-3 lead with 11 seconds left in the first quarter.

Bad start

The 17 first-quarter points Miami allowed were the most in an opening quarter since the RedHawks surrendered 18 in a 42-14 loss to Bowling Green on Nov. 16, 2005.

Honoring a legend

Miami University is honoring some of the greatest members of its famed "Cradle of Coaches" at home games.

Thursday night's honoree was NFL Hall of Fame member and 1930 MU graduate Paul Brown. Sept. 7 will mark the 100-year anniversary of Brown's birth.

Legendary legacy

Shemy Schembechler, the son of former Miami University and Michigan coach Bo Schembechler, was in the pressbox, scouting for the Washington Redskins.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jmorrison@coxohio.com.