Nickson rushes Commodores past RedHawks

VIDEO PLAYLIST

• Vanderbilt Wins Easily Over Miami Of Ohio, 34-13

WERE YOU THERE?

Did you attend this game? If so, start chronicling your sports memories today with ESPN's Sports Passport. Enter the games you attend, upload your photos and share your memories! I was there »

Team Stat Comparison
1st Downs	17	17
Total Yards	360	340
Passing	91	244
Rushing	269	96
Penalties	2-25	7-45
3rd Down Conversions	8-15	4-15
4th Down Conversions	0-1	1-2
Turnovers	2	3
Possession	32:43	27:17

Air/Ground Leaders
Vanderbilt Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Nickson 9/16 91 1 0	Miami (OH) Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Raudabaugh 19/41 244 1 3 Team 0/1 0 0 0
Vanderbilt Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Nickson 20 166 2 59 Hawkins 13 51 1 14	Miami (OH) Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Merriweather 10 59 0 20 Rogers 2 32 0 21
Vanderbilt Receiving   REC YDS TD LG Walker 2 53 1 49 Reinert 1 13 0 13	Miami (OH) Receiving   REC YDS TD LG O'Connell 3 61 0 30 Harris 4 52 1 30

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER				VAN	M-OH
	FG	11:08	Nathan Parseghian 37 Yd	0	3
	TD	08:01	Sean Walker 4 Yd Pass From Chris Nickson (Bryant Hahnfeldt Kick)	7	3
	FG	06:23	Bryant Hahnfeldt 42 Yd	10	3
	TD	00:11	Chris Nickson 1 Yd Run (Bryant Hahnfeldt Kick)	17	3
SECOND QUARTER				VAN	M-OH
	TD	06:58	Eugene Harris 30 Yd Pass From Daniel Raudabaugh (Nathan Parseghian Kick)	17	10
	TD	05:33	Chris Nickson 14 Yd Run (Bryant Hahnfeldt Kick)	24	10
	FG	00:14	Bryant Hahnfeldt 32 Yd	27	10
THIRD QUARTER				VAN	M-OH
	FG	06:42	Nathan Parseghian 29 Yd	27	13
FOURTH QUARTER				VAN	M-OH
	TD	05:40	Jared Hawkins 3 Yd Run (Bryant Hahnfeldt Kick)	34	13

OXFORD, Ohio -- Quarterback Chris Nickson rushed for a career-high 166 yards and two touchdowns and passed for another TD to lead Vanderbilt to a 34-13 victory over Miami of Ohio in the season opener for both teams Thursday night.

An interception and a punt return by D.J. Moore lead to 10 Vanderbilt points during a six-minute span of the first quarter as the Commodores pulled away.

The victory was the first for Vanderbilt since Oct. 27, when it beat Miami 24-13. Vanderbilt then needed one more victory to become bowl eligible, but lost the final four games of the regular season.

Miami's only lead Thursday night came on a 37-yard field goal by Nathan Parseghian early in the first quarter.

Vanderbilt when ahead 7-3 when Nickson and Sean Walker hooked up for a 49-yard completion and then a 4-yard touchdown pass.

Moore's interception on the RedHawks' ensuing possession led to a 42-yard field goal by Bryant Hahnfeldt. Moore later returned a punt 91 yards to the Miami 1, and Nickson plunged in from there to put the Commodores on top 17-3.

The RedHawks answered with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Raudabaugh to Eugene Harris. But Vanderbilt countered in just three plays, including a 59-yard run by Nickson and a 14-yard touchdown run by Nickson.

Nickson was 9-of-16 for 91 yards.

Raudabaugh was 19-of-41 for 244 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions.