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Rice University Athletics
Owls Fall to Vanderbilt, 38-21
9/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 13, 2008
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - James Casey and Jarett Dillard each topped 100 receiving yards, while Chase Clement piled up 326 yards of total offense, but it wasn't enough to hold of a strong second half by Vanderbilt as the Commodores defeated the Owls 38-21 in Nashville on Saturday night.
The Owls boarded their charter Friday morning with the knowledge that Hurricane Ike was on a collision course with their homes, but despite the images of the destruction that filled the airwaves on Saturday morning, they came out with a focused and efficient attack that left the unbeaten Commodores reeling.
The teams were tied 21-21 at the break, and the Owls had racked up 272 yards, while limiting Vandy to just 175. Clement had topped 200 yards in passing in the first 30 minutes, while Casey had nine receptions for 81 yards.
After Rice forced a punt by the Commodores on their first series of the night, Clement and Dillard took one step closer to becoming the most productive passing duo in NCAA history when they hooked up on 26-yard scoring combination. It was their 37th touchdown pass as a duo, two shy of matching the NCAA record, and was Dillard's 45th career touchdown catch.
Clement scored on a three-yard run and Casey added a two-yard scoring jaunt on a fourth-and-goal for the Owls other scores. Rice opened the second half by picking up a quick first down, but that drive stalled.
The Owls could never regain their offensive momentum as they were held scoreless in a second half for the first time since the Florida State game in 2006, a stretch of 23 straight games. They also saw their streak of consecutive games with more than 30 points come to an end. They entered the night tied with Texas and Texas Tech, having scored at least 30 points in six consecutive games.
Defensively, the Owls were without four starters when the game began and saw a fifth, Brandon King, go down with a foot sprain in the second quarter. They held Vandy to just 344 yards on the night, but the Commodores ground attack eventually wore down the Owls in the second half.
The Owls will remain in Nashville on Saturday night and their eventual return to Houston will be decided sometime on Sunday. They are scheduled to meet the Texas Longhorns next Saturday in Austin with kickoff set for 6:00 p.m. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net.
