KNOXVILLE, Tenn. The competition for starting quarterback at Tennessee is still on, and even though Erik Ainge will take the first snap on Saturday, he wants to land the job for good.
Coach Phillip Fulmer announced Saturday he picked the sophomore over senior Rick Clausen to start the No. 3 Volunteers’ opener against UAB. The race has been very tight during the preseason, and Fulmer said the job is not necessarily Ainge’s for the rest of the season.
“I always practice as hard as I can, but I’m going to practice harder. I’m going to watch more film, and I need to get better and better to try to separate myself so that I do win outright the starting job at quarterback.”
Fulmer said Ainge’s mobility and arm strength gave him an edge.
Clausen, whose older brother Casey was a four-year starter at QB for the Vols, performed better statistically in the preseason scrimmages. Fulmer complimented Clausen for being in command while Ainge seemed to be pressing.
“I could have flipped a coin, but I didn’t want to do that,” Fulmer said. “It’s about making the decision you think can get you to the Rose Bowl, or get you to the (Southeastern Conference) championship game.”
Fulmer will have to decide after Saturday which quarterback can better help the Vols win back-to-back road games at No. 10 Florida and No. 5 LSU in September.
Ainge started six games in the middle of last season while rotating with fellow freshman Brent Schaeffer. But both of them were injured, and Clausen stepped in to finish the season at starter, winning over fans who were impressed with his calm demeanor.
Fulmer said he didn’t want to reveal how he plans to rotate the quarterbacks this season, but he said both will play on Saturday.
“We’ll find out in the first game who’ll be there in the second game,” he said.
Clausen was elected one of the team’s captains. Ainge said he needed to become a vocal leader on the team.
Fulmer has described Clausen as “cerebral,” and Ainge’s physical talent has been played up more than Clausen’s. Those stereotypes might be misleading, Ainge said.
“I think we would both say he is smarter and I am a little more gifted, but it’s not a landslide by any means. I think Rick is a great quarterback,” he said.
As a senior Clausen is ahead in understanding the offense, but Fulmer said the staff has not “babied” Ainge and instead threw the whole package at him.
In a short statement to reporters last Saturday, Clausen said he just had to live with the coaches’ decision.
Ainge said he knew Clausen would handle the situation well because he did the same last year.
“Obviously he didn’t get very many reps in practice,” Ainge said. “He didn’t play in games and then just had to come out and perform and he did.”
