It rained, and then Vanderbilt poured it on.

The Commodores scored 31 first-half points, the most in any half of the Derek Mason era, and raced to a 47-24 victory over Middle Tennessee State on Saturday.

The first half was interrupted by a 1 hour, 44-minute weather delay. It didn’t bother Vanderbilt, which rattled off 28 points in the second quarter, then turned it over to Ralph Webb and the defense. Webb finished with a career-high 208 yards.

The 47 points matched the highest total under Mason as well.

What it means: Vanderbilt didn’t look demonstrably better than the opener against South Carolina until midway through the second quarter. The defense allowed yards to the pass-happy Blue Raiders, but took advantage of turnovers. There might be more questions about the Commodores offense, and any changes to make — or how consistent it will be — after they didn’t complete a pass in the first quarter. By the weather delay with 5:40 left in the first half, the Blue Raiders had a 242-57 edge in offensive yards.

What I liked: Versatile safety turned linebacker Oren Burks made an impact with a 59-yard interception returned to the MTSU 7-yard line with 11:32 left in the second quarter. A week after he had six tackles and a forced fumble, Burks remains a key player on the Vanderbilt defense, no matter where he lines up.

What I didn’t like: A second straight slow start for the Commodores offensively as quarterback Kyle Shurmur began 0-for-7 passing, and they mustered 32 rushing yards in the first quarter. Given the solid running game, Shurmur’s arm and multiple capable receiving targets, it was difficult to pinpoint the issue. Shurmur went over the 100-yard mark late in the fourth quarter.

Who’s the man: Webb not only hurdled a 6-foot defender for Vanderbilt’s first first down with just over one minute left in the first quarter, he went vertical again with 10:42 left in the second quarter for his team’s second touchdown to make it 19-10.

But Webb also forced a fumble on a botched punt return by Middle Tennessee that resulted in a safety. Webb is one of the few starting skill players who also see key snaps on special teams, a transition made recently by Mason. He added a 42-yard run early in the fourth quarter to eclipse 200 yards for the first time in a game.

Key play: After the Blue Raiders appeared to grab the momentum following the weather delay, Webb had a 49-yard run that set up a 3-yard touchdown with 1:46 left in the second quarter. MTSU had trimmed the Vanderbilt lead to 19-17. It capped Vanderbilt’s best drive of the young season, a seven-play, 75-yard drive, where Shurmur was 3-for-3. After an 0-for-7 start, Shurmur completed eight straight passes for 84 yards to close the first half.

What’s next: Vanderbilt (1-1) travels to Georgia Tech.