Tennessee quarterback Casey Clausen is the big man on the Volunteers' campus in Knoxville--particularly after leading his team to an impressive victory over Alabama last Saturday. Clausen dominated the five-overtime thriller, throwing for four touchdowns and running for a fifth as the 18th-ranked Vols snapped a two-game losing streak. His heroics earned him SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
"That might have been Casey's best game since he came to Tennessee," Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "It was an unbelievable effort by Casey, who never had any doubt he could pull it off. He saw everything that was going on, and he took a lot of hits. He was our leader in the huddle and on the sidelines."
In his third year as starting quarterback for the Volunteers, Clausen has finally overcome the rollercoaster ride of his sophomore and junior campaigns. The Cal., native had a spectacular sophomore season as he earned the starting nod at quarterback and led Tennessee to a Citrus Bowl victory over Michigan and a final ranking of fourth in the nation.
Last year there were lofty expectations for Clausen as he was tabbed a pre-season Heisman candidate. However, Clausen and his Volunteer offense struggled to win many games. Averaging a mediocre 9.2 points-per-game in its losses, Tennessee finished at 8-5, its worst-ever mark under Fulmer.
Thus far in 2003, Clausen has performed well as the leader of a Tennessee team vying for top honors in a tough SEC conference. Competing with Heisman candidates such as Mississippi's Eli Manning, Clausen is a close second for most touchdowns is the conference with 15 this year.
He has amassed 1,581 yards passing so far this season in seven games, but has not consistently passed for the same amount in each game. Clausen passed for only 149 yards against South Carolina, then next game passed for a career high of 355 yards against Auburn. Clearly Casey thrives under pressure, pulling out victories in both overtime games he has seen this season.
"When the game's on the line a lot of players become timid, but I rise to the occasion," Clausen said. "That's when I'm at my best."
Clausen is also a leader off the field. The Tennessee quarterback shares fridays with the kids of local Knoxville elementary schools in a program dubbed "Casey in the Classroom".
"Every time I visit one of these schools it really brightens my day. I really enjoy knowing I make a difference in their lives and I want them to know they have a very big impact on me as well," Clausen said.
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