Clausen saves Tennessee again, this time at his former school

Posted 7:47PM on Tuesday 27th September 2005 ( 19 years ago )

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Rick Clausen helped Tennessee rally from a big deficit, perhaps saving the Volunteers' season, and proved again why he deserves to be the starting quarterback. Clausen, a senior and co-captain, came off the bench Monday night to replace starter Erik Ainge with No. 10 Tennessee (2-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) trailing 21-0 at fourth-ranked LSU and sparked the Vols to a 30-27 victory in overtime. As if the plot could not get more fairytale-like, Clausen's performance came against a team he left because he wasn't going to get a chance to play. ``Rick is our quarterback right now and unless there's a reason to change we won't change,'' coach Phillip Fulmer said after Tuesday's practice. ``Obviously Rick has brought consistency and calmness to our offense.'' Clausen finished 21-of-32 for 196 yards with one interception and a touchdown, and he added another score on a quarterback sneak at the 1-yard line. The SEC named Clausen the offensive player of the week on Tuesday. Ainge was the starter for the opener against UAB but struggled. Clausen started in last week's 16-7 loss at Florida. Afterward, Fulmer named Ainge the starter, supposedly ending the rotation with Clausen to help get the stagnant offense back on track. That meant Clausen would not play against LSU (1-1, 0-1), where he began his college career in 2001. But Ainge struggled again, and Fulmer then went back to Clausen, who led the Vols on all their scoring drives and kept them in the East division race. ``I don't have anything to prove to anybody. The guys in the locker room, family and friends, they know what I'm all about. If I haven't proved (it) by now, then you know what, I don't care,'' Clausen said. For LSU, it was a heartbreaking loss in the Tigers' first home game, which was delayed by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. And the second-half collapse has given new coach Les Miles a shaky start to his tenure. It was unclear how much effect the last few weeks dealing with the storms had on the team and if the Tigers will recover to live up to expectations of vying for the SEC championship and the national title. Fans even booed the Tigers and complained about conservative play calling after the team was ahead by three touchdowns. Before halftime, LSU let the clock run out when quarterback JaMarcus Russell scrambled but failed to get out of bounds, not leaving enough time for a field-goal attempt. ``We have to put this game behind us,'' Miles said after the game. ``This can't be something that we hang on (to) and dwell on.'' Both teams now face a short week of practice to prepare for Saturday. LSU travels to Mississippi State, and the Vols host Mississippi. Clausen, who graduated in May, was upset when Fulmer told him Ainge would start at LSU and even thought about quitting. Ainge's night was over after he tossed the ball into the hands of LSU's Kenneth Hollis while he was being tackled in the back of the Tennessee end zone. Hollis returned it 3 yards for the score. Behind Clausen, the Vols were a different team. They tied it at 24 to force overtime. LSU settled for a field goal, and Tennessee's Gerald Riggs bulled in from the 1-yard line to win it. Clausen played in three games with one start as a redshirt freshman in 2002 at LSU. The roster featured QBs Matt Mauck and Marcus Randall. Russell, LSU's current starter, was a signee. Then LSU-coach Nick Saban told Clausen he didn't think he would have a shot to play, and Clausen went to Tennessee, where his brother Casey was a four-year starter. Clausen finally got his chance last season, but he was passed over as the starter for Ainge and fellow freshman Brent Schaeffer, who transferred. Ainge and Schaeffer both went down with injuries. Called a ``white knight'' by Fulmer, Clausen started the final four games of last season. ``It's been a rollercoaster. That's the best way to describe it,'' Clausen said. AP Sports Writer Ralph Russo in Baton Rouge, La., contributed to this report. (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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