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Clausen may be key to Vols' season By Pat Forde Special to ESPN.com |
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Tennessee Volunteers
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Coach: Phillip Fulmer (103-25, 12th season) 2002 overall record: 8-5 Conference record: 5-3 Returning starters Offense: 8 Defense: 4 Kicker/Punter: 1 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Cedric Houston* (779 yds) Passing: Casey Clausen* (2,297 yds) Receiving: Jason Witten (493 yds) Tackles: Keyon Whiteside (119) Sacks: Keyon Whiteside (5) Interceptions: Rashad Baker* (5) Outlook: Last season was the worst in Phillip Fulmer's previously glorious tenure on Rocky Top. The Volunteers' 8-5 bomb was undermined by acrimony, injury and, at times, a flat-out failure to compete. Losing five games was bad. Averaging 9.2 points in those five losses was worse. Being blown out in four of the five was unforgivable by current Tennessee standards. The lack of leadership was, in Fulmer's words, "a black hole we never recovered from." Two individuals in particular will be challenged to do better this year. Quarterback Casey Clausen is formally invited to step forward and become the player he's been expected to be since arriving on campus four years ago. Clausen began last year as a Heisman Trophy candidate but finished it with a banged-up body and a banged-up reputation. "Casey tried to do too much," Fulmer said. "We had almost double the number of sacks (from 2001) because Casey was often holding the ball and trying to make something happen." Problem is, there are few proven playmakers for Clausen to get the ball to. Wide receiver, usually an embarrassment of Big Orange riches, is instead populated with converted safety Mark Jones and quarterback James Banks, who is working there some and might still be the No. 2 QB. Running back would appear to be Cedric Houston's, but Fulmer has said "we need a running back to emerge." The senior Clausen must prove that he can take over this team and make the kind of plays that defeat a good defense -- because the Vols will see several of those this year. Offensive coordinator Randy Sanders' every play call will be scrutinized. Tennessee was a weak 85th in the nation last year in total offense, and if it underachieves like that again, Sanders will be wearing someone else's head phones next year. (First thing Sanders must do is run sophomore Cedric Houston until he can't carry it anymore. Second thing is to find a couple of playmaking wideouts.) The defense lost a lot, but the secondary will be strong and several potential stars are returning from injury in the front seven. A unit that ranked fifth nationally in total defense should be good again. Punter Dusty Colquitt will help the Vols big-time in the hidden-yardage game. Keep an eye on: Linebacker Kevin Burnett. The junior injured his knee in the season-opening rout of Wyoming last year, missing the season. Defensive coordinator John Chavis can play the 6-foot-3, 235-pounder in a lot of places -- and plans to. Look for Burnett to show up primarily at outside linebacker, some at inside, and frequently rushing the passer on third down. Burnett, who already has his undergraduate degree, could be the next high-impact linebacker at the school that has recently produced Al Wilson, Leonard Little and Raynoch Thompson. Fulmer calls him "one of the best football players in the country." Key game: Rare is the year when the annual September smackdown between Florida and Tennessee isn't the biggest game for Big Orange. This is such a year. Instead circle Oct. 4 on the calendar, the date the Vols visit Auburn. Win that game and Tennessee is catapulted back to Major Player status in a hurry. It's a good year if. . .: Tennessee must do better than last year, even against one of the nation's most demanding schedules. (Even the opening non-conference opponents are scary: Fresno State and Marshall.) Nine regular-season wins would seem attainable, though it might not be good enough to win the East -- and anything less than winning the East will produce at least some carping. The Vols aren't going to go undefeated, but they better go down with their boots on. Fans would sure appreciate seeing more moxie than a talented team displayed in several ugly losses last year. Pat Forde covers college football for the Louisville Courier-Journal.
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