Ohio State paid tribute to one of its most illustrious former stars, Howard “Hopalong” Cassady, with a pregame presentation and No. 40 helmet stickers on Saturday. The 1955 Heisman Trophy winner’s No. 40 jersey, retired in 2001, is one of several hanging in Ohio Stadium. Mr. Cassady died last week at age 85.

The effort that the Buckeyes put forth in their first game after his death would have surely made him proud.

OSU closed the nonconference portion of its schedule by crushing Miami (Ohio) 76-5 on Saturday in Columbus. For what it’s worth, this was the fourth meeting between the programs and OSU’s winning margin has increased each time — the Buckeyes won by 11 in 2000, by 20 in 2005, by 46 in 2012 and by 71 on Saturday.

Here are 5 things I liked and 3 I didn’t about Ohio State’s victory.

5 things I liked

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Backups get true chance: OSU led 49-5 at halftime, leading Buckeyes coach Ryan Day and staff to decide that they had seen enough from quarterback Justin Fields, running back J.K. Dobbins and several other starters. Good for Day to recognize that keeping all of his starters in beyond that point would be pointless, and good for the younger players who got significant playing time. Backup quarterback Chris Chugunov (pictured) started the second half and went 6-for-7 with two TDs before he also gave way to Gunnar Hoak. Chugunov, Hoak, Marcus Crowley, Jameson Williams and Steele Chambers all accounted for their first touchdowns as Buckeyes.

Chase Young’s motor: The junior defensive end looks like the next future NFL star that Ohio State keeps cranking out on defense. Young did nothing to change that prediction against the RedHawks, coming up with two sack/fumbles to create two turnovers in the second quarter. Young was simply unblockable for most of the game, which is not surprising considering what he has done against Big Ten offenses but that is a testament to his high motor and effort, suitable for a team co-captain.

Okudah’s first career INT: As much hype as cornerback Jeffrey Okudah has received, and deservedly so, it seems somewhat amazing that he hadn’t had an interception in scarlet and gray until Saturday. He picked off Miami freshman quarterback Brett Gabbert in the second quarter. Okudah’s play set up OSU at the MU 41 and OSU got another touchdown, its second in a 32-second span, on the way to blitzing the RedHawks for a 42-point quarter.

Special teams standouts: Coming into Saturday, OSU was ranked 39th nationally in punt returns and 63rd in kickoff returns — not great numbers for a program that emphasizes special teams and has so many explosive athletes. But against Miami, freshman Garrett Wilson has a beauty of a punt return, a 52-yarder, for perhaps OSU’s best special teams play all season. Unless that distinction goes to Sevyn Banks for blocking a punt, the second punt block for OSU in two weeks.

Wilson’s juggling catch: Speaking of Wilson, he made a spectacular catch for a touchdown in the third quarter, juggling Chugunov’s 38-yard pass in the end zone. Replay confirmed that the football never touched the ground and Wilson scored on a terrific play showcasing his athleticism and concentration (and perhaps a bit of a penalty that he might have gotten away with):

3 things I didn’t like

Slow starts to each half: It didn’t matter at the end, but OSU started a bit slowly in the game, then was plagued by some sloppiness early in the second half. The latter could perhaps be written off because some young kids were finally getting game time but the coaching staff will want to clean that up.

Penalty bug: OSU committed six penalties for 52 yards — not quite alarming numbers but they could be better. Of particular concern is starting left guard Jonah Jackson. The graduate transfer from Rutgers was flagged for holding against Miami, the third consecutive game he has drawn a penalty. He’s enough of a veteran to not make so many mistakes, which in a close game might prove costly.

Official indecision: Why exactly did it take several minutes to call off the game once lightning was spotted in the area? At first officials announced that the game would be delayed — with the score 76-5 and less than 3 minutes remaining. Under those circumstances, why was a delay even an option? The correct call was made a couple of minutes later when it was announced that both coaches had agreed to end the game 2:40 early. That should have been the announcement in the first place.