All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football’s five worst years with senior QB

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 08: Quarterback Rick Clausen #16 of the Tennessee Volunteers throws a pass during a game against the Georgia Bulldogs on October 8, 2005 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Bulldogs defeated the Vols 27-14. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 08: Quarterback Rick Clausen #16 of the Tennessee Volunteers throws a pass during a game against the Georgia Bulldogs on October 8, 2005 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Bulldogs defeated the Vols 27-14. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images /

1. 2005

Rick Clausen

5-6 (3-5)

*No postseason

It’s debatable of we should consider this one since Rick Clausen split time with Erik Ainge, but he started more games and took more snaps, so it counts. And is the most disappointing season in Tennessee football history, one that ended the 16-year run and began the Vols’ downward slide.

For context, the year before, Ainge and fellow freshman Brent Schaeffer helped UT shock the world to win the SEC East, but both suffered season-ending injuries, so Clausen played the final four games. He won three of them and became MVP of the Cotton Bowl. Schaeffer transferred in the offseason, and with every starter back, the race came down to Ainge and Clausen.

Fulmer’s mismanagement of the situation made things way worse. Despite his weak arm, Clausen was the veteran and outplayed Ainge all offseason. Still, Ainge got the starting job at home against the UAB Blazers, and Fulmer tried to split the quarterbacks. That resulted in a hideous 17-10 win followed by a 16-7 loss at the Florida Gators when Clausen started.

More from All for Tennessee

Then, at the LSU Tigers on the road, Fulmer declared Ainge would be the full-time starter. However, after a 21-0 deficit, Ainge was yanked. Clausen came in and led an epic comeback for the Vols to win 30-27 in overtime against the school he transferred from. That game was delayed to a Monday due to the damaging effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The following Saturday, UT won an ugly game over the Ole Miss Rebels, but they were 3-1 with a key SEC road win and back in the mix. Clausen had settled in as the starter. Right as he settled in, things collapsed. The Vols lost at home to eventual the SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs and then gave away the game in a 6-3 hideous offensive performance at the Alabama Crimson Tide.

At 3-3 Fulmer went back to alternating quarterbacks, and Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks then shocked the Vols. UT was 3-4, and with the season at a loss, Fulmer went back to Ainge full-time. However, after a 41-21 loss at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and a 13-0 deficit to the Memphis Tigers, a bowl was in jeopardy.

Clausen came in to clean up the mess and lead the Vols to a 20-16 victory over Memphis. At 4-5, it seemed like UT would at least get to 6-5 and reach a bowl with the Vanderbilt Commodores and Kentucky Wildcats left. But Clausen and co. were shocked by Jay Cutler and Vandy to hit Rock Bottom. He was done, then for Kentucky, and Ainge started in a win to finish 5-6.

dark. Next. Vols top 10 now-defunct rivalries

So in a disastrous season, Tennessee football went from preseason No. 3 to 5-6. Clausen finished completing 57.4 percent of his passes for 1,441 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. Offensive coordinator Randy Sanders was then replaced by David Cutcliffe, who revived Ainge’s career, but the quarterback carousel this year wasted a historically great year on defense.

Home/Vols Football