Ainge, Clausen compete for UT quarterback
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Unlike a year ago when he was choosing between four unproven players, this season’s race features two quarterbacks who started several games apiece in 2004.
“They’ll decide it for me actually — who plays the best in the scrimmages, who practices the best and who is best to lead this team,” he said after a practice this week.
Either sophomore Erik Ainge or senior Rick Clausen will take the first snap in the Volunteers’ opener on Sept. 3 against UAB at home.
Even with the uncertainty, Tennessee is considered to be a top contender to win the Southeastern Conference championship and was ranked No. 3 in the coaches’ poll released last week.
Fulmer has already said he thinks Ainge has a better arm, but that hasn’t been enough to decide it so far.
“Rick is very capable in his right, and I’m sure he would tell you too that maybe he’s not going to make some of the throws physically that Erik can make. But there’s some dynamics that both of them (have) as leaders that you like to be around,” Fulmer said.
Ainge, nephew of the Boston Celtics’ head of basketball operations, Danny Ainge, says this year compared to last year is like “night and day” because he understands more.
“I think what you’ll see is a lot more fundamental. I’ll look like I know where I’m throwing it instead of stepping one way and throwing the other because I just realized I was looking the wrong way,” he said.
Clausen, whose older brother Casey started at Tennessee for four years, has more confidence now. Clausen transferred from LSU and had to sit out 2003 per NCAA rules.
“It’s different because I think people have seen what I can do on the football field. People have seen what Erik can do on the football field. Now it’s just a matter of going out and getting better,” Clausen said.
Their teammates say there’s not much difference between the two.
“They both know what they’re doing. We can go out there and make plays with either one of them,” receiver Jayson Swain said. “Ainge throws a little bit harder, but it’s not noticeably different.”
Fulmer surprised many last August when he moved Ainge and Brent Schaeffer ahead of Clausen and senior C. J. Leak on the depth chart. Schaeffer ended up starting the first three games of the season, but he rotated during the games with Ainge.
Ainge started the next six games. During that span, Schaeffer broke his collarbone and was not able to play again until the bowl game.
Then Ainge separated his shoulder and was lost for the season. Clausen started in the final four games, including a 38-7 victory over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.
Schaeffer transferred this summer after he was charged with assault stemming from a fight with a fellow student.
Without getting hurt, Ainge might have solidified his spot last year.
“We were doing some things mid-season with him that we typically probably wouldn’t do with a freshman and we didn’t do with the other freshman,” Fulmer said. The coach often compares Ainge’s development to Vol legend Peyton Manning.
Clausen says he doesn’t know if Fulmer will stick with just one starter once he decides or rotate the two players as he did Ainge and Schaeffer last year.
“That’s almost the fun part about it,” he said. “You have to let the chips fall as they may.”
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