Robert Griffin III threw five touchdown passes and ran for another as No. 19 Baylor overwhelmed visiting Rice 56-31 on Saturday night in Waco, Texas.

Griffin, who entered the game as the nation’s leader in passing efficiency and a Heisman Trophy candidate, has 13 touchdowns and only 12 incompletions this season, and has thrown 143 straight passes without an interception. He finished 28-of-32 for 332 yards.

Baylor (3-0) pounced on the Owls from the beginning, scoring three touchdowns in the first 10 minutes. The last of which was a 17-yard strike on a quick slant from Griffin to Kendall Wright to put the Bears up 21-0 en route to their sixth straight win over the Owls.

That score was Wright’s 20th receiving touchdown of his career, making him Baylor’s all-time leader.

Rice (1-2) closed the gap to 35-17 at halftime and was threatening to score early in the third quarter when quarterback Taylor McHargue tried to hit Vance McDonald on a comeback route. McDonald tipped the ball up in the air and it fell in the hands of Baylor’s Ahmad Dixon, who returned it 55 yards for a touchdown to give the Bears a 42-17 lead.

Baylor is off to its best start since 2005 and opens Big 12 Conference play at Kansas State next week.

Rice has lost 25 straight games against Big 12 opponents.