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Fulmer Mystified By QBs' No-Shows
Ainge, Clausen prove unable to move offense
By MIKE ORGAN
Tennesseean
Staff Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Tennessee doesn't have a quarterback controversy. The Vols have a quarterback crisis. Both of the players UT has relied on Rick Clausen and Erik Ainge to bolster the offense have been surprisingly inept.
What was supposed to be a fierce battle between the two quarterbacks has turned into a shaky shuffling that has prevented the offense from getting into a groove.
The offense's lack of firepower led to last night's 16-7 loss at Florida.
In two games this season the Vols have scored a total of just three touchdowns, and the instability at quarterback has only magnified the struggle.
Coach Phillip Fulmer stopped short of blaming the quarterbacks as the Vols' biggest problem, but admitted the offense has him baffled.
"It's frustrating, it's concerning, it's all of those things,'' Fulmer said. "We're not being nearly as productive as we obviously all thought that we would be.''
Clausen and Ainge both were given their chances last night. Other than one nicely executed drive by Ainge, the results were quite bland, at best.
Since scoring on the first two possessions against Alabama-Birmingham in the opener, UT's offense has scored on just three of its last 19 possessions.
When asked to evaluate the performances of the two quarterbacks, Fulmer first praised Florida's defense, then shook his head and said he'd need more time to think it over.
"You know we played a good defensive team, I don't know exactly what to say,'' Fulmer said. "Florida did a good job of rushing the passer, and their coverage was good and tough and tight. We had three or four balls that were thrown out there that would have been long gains if we would have just gotten to them.''
After starting Clausen then pulling him after just two possessions, Fulmer liked what he saw from Ainge, who started against UAB.
Ainge overthrew his first pass, but then got into a rhythm he never found against UAB. He completed seven of his next eight passes.
Ainge lobbed a fade pass to the right corner of the end zone to Bret Smith midway into the second quarter, marking the Vols' first touchdown pass since the second quarter of the UAB game.
Not only did Ainge finally show poise during the 83-yard drive, he spread his passes around well.
Six different receivers had catches on the 12-play drive. Sixty-five of the 83 yards came through the air.
"Erik looked like he was really on there,'' Fulmer said. "He went into the game and made some things happen. But there was no consistency after that.''
Clausen's only other action came in the final 1:13 of the first half. By then Ainge had fallen into a funk, so making the change did not risk shaking his confidence.
Clausen struggled as much on the last possession of the first half as he did at the start of the game.
"I don't think I can sit here and give you an evaluation of the two quarterbacks right now without seeing the tape a little bit more,'' Fulmer said.
"Neither one of them played very good really, but the people around them didn't play very good either. That's tough on a quarterback.''
Ainge finished 14-of-29 passing for 147 yards and one TD. Take away the scoring drive and he was 7-of-21 for 72 yards. Clausen was 2-of-5 for no yards. Like Ainge, he also was sacked once.
Ainge said he and Clausen aren't in a battle for playing time. So neither gained or lost ground in that respect last night.
"It's hardly a competition,'' Ainge said.
"I think we both bring things to this team. Night in and night out it will depend on what team we're playing as to how each of us plays.
"We just left a lot of plays out there on the field tonight the offense as a whole did that.''
After Florida surged ahead 13-7 on another field goal, Ainge brought the offense back out.
He didn't do it smoothly, but Ainge got the ball across midfield before being rattled again by the crowd, which forced him to call another timeout from the line of scrimmage. The drive stalled after that forcing UT to punt.
After Florida took a 16-7 lead Ainge tried again to move the offense with little success.
After completing a pass to Robert Meachem, the snap from center got away and Ainge was sacked for a 15-yard loss.
UT quarterback Erik Ainge walks off the field after losing 16-7 to Florida at The Swamp. Rick Clausen started at quarterback for the Vols, but was quickly replaced by Ainge, who did throw a TD pass but struggled against the Gators.
LARRY MCCORMACK / Staff Writer
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Ainge, Clausen prove unable to move offense
By MIKE ORGAN
Tennesseean
Staff Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Tennessee doesn't have a quarterback controversy. The Vols have a quarterback crisis. Both of the players UT has relied on Rick Clausen and Erik Ainge to bolster the offense have been surprisingly inept.
What was supposed to be a fierce battle between the two quarterbacks has turned into a shaky shuffling that has prevented the offense from getting into a groove.
The offense's lack of firepower led to last night's 16-7 loss at Florida.
In two games this season the Vols have scored a total of just three touchdowns, and the instability at quarterback has only magnified the struggle.
Coach Phillip Fulmer stopped short of blaming the quarterbacks as the Vols' biggest problem, but admitted the offense has him baffled.
"It's frustrating, it's concerning, it's all of those things,'' Fulmer said. "We're not being nearly as productive as we obviously all thought that we would be.''
Clausen and Ainge both were given their chances last night. Other than one nicely executed drive by Ainge, the results were quite bland, at best.
Since scoring on the first two possessions against Alabama-Birmingham in the opener, UT's offense has scored on just three of its last 19 possessions.
When asked to evaluate the performances of the two quarterbacks, Fulmer first praised Florida's defense, then shook his head and said he'd need more time to think it over.
"You know we played a good defensive team, I don't know exactly what to say,'' Fulmer said. "Florida did a good job of rushing the passer, and their coverage was good and tough and tight. We had three or four balls that were thrown out there that would have been long gains if we would have just gotten to them.''
After starting Clausen then pulling him after just two possessions, Fulmer liked what he saw from Ainge, who started against UAB.
Ainge overthrew his first pass, but then got into a rhythm he never found against UAB. He completed seven of his next eight passes.
Ainge lobbed a fade pass to the right corner of the end zone to Bret Smith midway into the second quarter, marking the Vols' first touchdown pass since the second quarter of the UAB game.
Not only did Ainge finally show poise during the 83-yard drive, he spread his passes around well.
Six different receivers had catches on the 12-play drive. Sixty-five of the 83 yards came through the air.
"Erik looked like he was really on there,'' Fulmer said. "He went into the game and made some things happen. But there was no consistency after that.''
Clausen's only other action came in the final 1:13 of the first half. By then Ainge had fallen into a funk, so making the change did not risk shaking his confidence.
Clausen struggled as much on the last possession of the first half as he did at the start of the game.
"I don't think I can sit here and give you an evaluation of the two quarterbacks right now without seeing the tape a little bit more,'' Fulmer said.
"Neither one of them played very good really, but the people around them didn't play very good either. That's tough on a quarterback.''
Ainge finished 14-of-29 passing for 147 yards and one TD. Take away the scoring drive and he was 7-of-21 for 72 yards. Clausen was 2-of-5 for no yards. Like Ainge, he also was sacked once.
Ainge said he and Clausen aren't in a battle for playing time. So neither gained or lost ground in that respect last night.
"It's hardly a competition,'' Ainge said.
"I think we both bring things to this team. Night in and night out it will depend on what team we're playing as to how each of us plays.
"We just left a lot of plays out there on the field tonight the offense as a whole did that.''
After Florida surged ahead 13-7 on another field goal, Ainge brought the offense back out.
He didn't do it smoothly, but Ainge got the ball across midfield before being rattled again by the crowd, which forced him to call another timeout from the line of scrimmage. The drive stalled after that forcing UT to punt.
After Florida took a 16-7 lead Ainge tried again to move the offense with little success.
After completing a pass to Robert Meachem, the snap from center got away and Ainge was sacked for a 15-yard loss.
UT quarterback Erik Ainge walks off the field after losing 16-7 to Florida at The Swamp. Rick Clausen started at quarterback for the Vols, but was quickly replaced by Ainge, who did throw a TD pass but struggled against the Gators.
LARRY MCCORMACK / Staff Writer
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