Fulmer hopes to answer quarterback question soon

There are several second-string spots up for grabs but only a handful of starting positions — the quarterback being the most obvious — still undecided with less than two weeks to go before the third-ranked Volunteers’ season opener on Sept. 3 against UAB.

Quarterbacks Erik Ainge and Rick Clausen have been critiqued through two major scrimmages so far in the preseason, and Fulmer still rates their competition as very close.

Both Ainge and Clausen had success as starters last season.

The Vols will hold another scrimmage Tuesday night, and Saturday will mark the end of preseason practice.

“Most of our questions are about second-team positions so … you can continue to compete for those,” Fulmer said. “The one or two that are first-team positions, yeah, we’d like to have those settled.”

But when asked if he would name a starter this week Fulmer said, “I don’t know.”

Even if a starter is named, it’s likely both quarterbacks will play. Last season, freshman Brent Schaeffer started the opener but rotated with Ainge.

Both of them beat out Clausen last August, but Clausen ended up being the starter at the end of the season when Schaeffer and Ainge were injured. Schaeffer has since transferred.

Clausen had a better outing than Ainge in Saturday’s scrimmage.

Clausen went 10-of-15 for 180 yards. Ainge was 10-of-20 for 91 yards. Each threw a touchdown pass and had an interception.

Clausen’s TD pass was a 41-yarder to Lucas Taylor, and he completed a pass to Robert Meachem for a 57-yard play. Ainge’s touchdown was a short pass to Bret Smith in a goal-line drill.

“We know we’re getting closer, and every little thing really makes a difference. A penalty here, a penalty there, not calling time-out when the clock’s running out, things like that we have to fix,” Ainge said about the team’s looming opener.

Meanwhile, Rob Smith appears to be in line to start the opener at center, a position muddled by injuries to the two players projected to compete for the job.

Smith would have been the starter at left guard, but Fulmer had to move him over when Richie Gandy partially dislocated his kneecap and David Ligon sprained his ankle last week. Fulmer said Ramon Foster would take Smith’s place “if we started today.”

Fulmer was upbeat about the unforeseen change on the offensive line.

“We could come out of this better than we were actually,” he said. “We could end up more physical out of this. We’ll see if they continue to progress.”

Smith has never played center in a game.

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