Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Jared Hawkins and Chris Nickson combined for 192 rushing yards and three touchdowns, as the Vanderbilt Commodores powered past the Rice Owls, 38-21, in non-conference action at Vanderbilt Stadium.

Nickson (7-of-16, 71 yards passing) carried 13 times for 85 yards and two TDs for the Commodores (3-0), who are off to their second 3-0 start in the last three years. Hawkins finished with 107 yards and one TD on 20 carries.

For Rice (2-1), Chase Clement went 25-of-39 for 299 yards, one TD and one INT. Most of his looks went to James Casey (12 catches, 115 yards) and Jarett Dillard (seven rec., 105 yds., one TD).

The Owls got on the board first, with Clement finding Dillard for a 26-yard scoring strike at the 9:47 mark of the opening quarter.

Five minutes later, Vanderbilt's Sean Walker tied it up on a five-yard touchdown run.

But the Owls came back with a 10-play, 76-yard drive, punctuated by Clement's three-yard touchdown scamper with 1:23 remaining in the first quarter.

The Commodores again knotted things up, this time on a 14-yard touchdown run by Nickson with 8:20 to play in the first half.

Once again, Rice responded with a lengthy drive. The Owls marched 80 yards in 11 plays, with Casey finding pay dirt on a two-yard run.

But from there it was all Commodores. Hawkins made it a 21-21 game by scoring on a seven-yard run with 15 seconds remaining in the first half.

Early in the second half, Vanderbilt's Jamie Graham put the Commodores ahead with a 27-yard touchdown run.

Later in the third quarter, the Commodores put together a 13-play drive that ate up 5:24, as kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt booted a 48-yarder.

DJ Moore's 67-yard punt return set the Commodores up at the one-yard line with 10 minutes remaining in regulation, and one play later, Nickson scored his second touchdown on a one-yard plunge.

Vanderbilt's running game was the difference in this one. The Commodores racked up 273 yards on the ground, for an average of 6.3 ypc.

FACTS & STATS: Site: Vanderbilt Stadium (41,221) -- Nashville, Tennessee. Television:None. Home Record: Rice 1-0, Vanderbilt 1-0. Away Record: Rice 1-0, Vanderbilt 1-0. Neutral Record: Rice 0-0, Vanderbilt 0-0. Conference Record: Rice 2-0, Vanderbilt 1-0. Series Record: Vanderbilt leads, 2-1.

GAME NOTES: A pair of teams trying to remain undefeated on the young season collide in Nashville this weekend, as the Rice Owls do battle with the Vanderbilt Commodores in non-league play. The Owls have come out of the gate quickly this season and have taken control of Conference USA thanks to two straight victories. After opening the year with a 56-27 win over SMU, Rice hit the road and came from behind to stun Memphis, 42-35, in a thriller this past weekend. Off to their first 2-0 start since 2004, the Owls will conclude their current three-game road swing against nationally-ranked Texas on September 20th. As for Vanderbilt, it is also 2-0 on the young season and it is coming off a 24-17 upset of then 24th-ranked South Carolina in its SEC opener on September 4th. It was the first home win over a ranked opponent since 1992 for Vanderbilt, which kicked off its 2008 campaign with a 34-13 triumph at Miami- Ohio. With a win this weekend, the Commodores would be off to their second 3-0 start in the last three years. Vanderbilt holds a slight 2-1 edge in the head- to-head series with Rice, but these teams have not met since 1975.

Rice's offense was held in check in the first half, but it exploded for four touchdowns after the break, helping it overcome a late deficit for a 42-35 victory over Memphis. Quarterback Chase Clement continued to shine, as he overcame a pair of interceptions by throwing for 318 yards and a touchdown. Clement, who passed for 258 yards and six scores in an opening win over SMU, also paced the ground game with 80 yards and two more touchdowns on 15 carries last weekend. He showed his leadership and poise by guiding Rice on a 7-play, 94-yard drive, which he capped with a touchdown run, in the final minutes of the game. The drive, plus a successful two-point conversion, tied the score at 35-35 with just over a minute left and set the stage for the defense to make its impact. Clement engineered three scoring drives of 69-plus yards in the final quarter last weekend and that is nothing new for this record setting gunslinger. James Casey was one of his favorite targets with 11 catches for 208 yards, while Jarrett Dillard hauled in eight balls for 66 yards and a score. Dillard is among the top wideouts in the nation and he impressed during the opener as well, racking up seven receptions for 89 yards and three scores.

The Owls were pushed around by Memphis for most of the game, but they made the big plays when they really needed it. As a matter of fact, the defense won the game for Rice last weekend, as Chris Jammer picked off a pass and took it back 69 yards for the game-deciding touchdown with just 11 seconds left. It was an incredible finish for the Owls, who still gave up a whopping 523 total yards to Memphis. Rice, though, does have five interceptions to its credit through the first two games and that is nothing to be ashamed about. Andrew Sendejo paced the defense with 13 tackles last week.

Offensively, the Commodores haven't exactly been explosive thus far, but they have done enough to win each game. After gaining 360 total yards in an opening win over Miami-Ohio, Vanderbilt was only able to muster up 225 in an upset of South Carolina. The offense has yet to even throw for over a 100 yards in a game, but it has had success on the ground, rushing for 269 yards in the opener and 135 yards last weekend. Jared Hawkins paced the ground game last weekend with 84 yards and a score on 17 attempts and that was a nice follow up to his 51-yard, one-touchdown effort in the opener. Quarterback Chris Nickson added 17 yards and a score on the ground last weekend, while also completing 8-of-13 pass attempts for 90 yards and another score. Nickson, a dual threat, was even more effective against Miami-Ohio, passing for 91 yards and a touchdown and rushing for a team-high 166 yards and two more scores. He won't strike much fear into opponents with his arm, but he is elusive and that has made him successful thus far.

On the defensive side of the ball is where Vanderbilt has really had success through two games, limiting Miami-Ohio to 340 total yards and South Carolina to 325 yards. The unit has held both of its opponents to under 100 yards rushing, while forcing three turnovers in each contest. Getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks hasn't been a problem either for the Commodores, who have accumulated seven sacks through two games. Patrick Benoist led the way last weekend with 15 stops and a sack, while Greg Billinger had six stops and a pair of sacks. Billinger also blocked a punt in the win.

This should be an interesting game, as Rice and its prolific offense takes on Vanderbilt and its stingy defense. The Commodores though, should be able to control the clock with their ground attack and that will help them keep the Owls' offense off the field and capture the victory this weekend.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Vanderbilt 28, Rice 24

Saturday, September 13th, 7:00 p.m. (et)