Talking Points: Casey Clausen Gone These Ten Years
by Joel Hollingsworth on Jul 29, 2011 7:49 AM EDT
in Rocky Top Talking Points
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Print- UT's official site has a great catch-up piece on Casey Clausen. You know, the guy who went 3-1 against Alabama and won twice against the Gators in Gainesville? If you care not for your mental well-being this morning, spend a moment comparing and contrasting that to the current 18-20 over the past three seasons against the entire schedule, including Kentucky. I'll never understand why so many Vol fans make pain faces at hearing Casey's name. Look at his top 5 UT memories: His first start -- a win against 'Bama; a 45-17 bowl beat down of Michigan, a six overtime victory over Arkansas, a five overtime win against Alabama, and the upset of the Hurricanes in Miami in '03. Cue Cinderella's power ballad.
- Denarius Moore has signed his deal with the Raiders and will get about $2.2M over four years, which ranks somewhere above being carried on teammates shoulders after beating UAB. Requisite Moore Flying TD video.
- Gerald Jones has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, which earns a link to Gerald Jones: Playmaker. Ignore the first half of the post in which I eagerly anticipate the Clawfense. It's going in my upcoming post compiling the 200 Most Embarrassing Things I've Ever Said on this Blog.
- Nick Reveiz is loving life in Tampa so far, even if it means a move to fullback.
- Dallas Thomas says that Tyler Bray now understands defenses. If true, watch out, because combining that with an uncanny knack to make things work when he didn't have a clue is a recipe for . . . hot sauce on potatoes? Hmm.
- Cuonzo Martin is headed to Colorado Springs for the 2011 USA Basketball Men's World University Games National Team training camp. The "World University Games?" Yes. He'll be hanging out with Purdue's Matt Painter and Butler's Brad Stevens.
- Hey, guess what? We're concerned about our defense this fall.
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Dooley's stance on "Hot Sauce Recruiting" is decidedly negative
…no word as of yet on his stance on “hot sauce potatoes.”
Dooley-isms Archiving the Genius.
Wonder if he likes the new Beasties album?
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
by birdjam on Jul 29, 2011 8:14 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Clausen was very underrated
He wasn’t the most graceful on the field. And he took some undue flak from the fan base, I think partially because he was a Cali kid and didn’t really relate to the fans. Despite that, I know his little sister and they love the Vols.
Anyway, he was effective. Something I think Vol fans realized they took for granted in the years since he left.
He and Ainge...
Were the reason for the “Mountain Values” crowd that clamored for Crompton in 2005/06. Can’t believe how many UT fans were unable to believe that a kid from the west could be just as disciplined as a kid from the mountains.
I agree
When you look back at Clausen’s career, he really was a great UT quarterback. The reasons you mention (Cali, aloofness) for his being under-rated are true, but also the following:
1) Came in with a lot of hype. IIRC, wasn’t he the first “next Peyton” we had? Nobody could live up to that.
2) QBs, rightly or wrongly, get too much credit and take too much blame for how their teams do, and Clausen’s teams felt (to fans) like they never quite achieved what people thought they could/should have.
Nonetheless, the dude was one of the all-time Vol greats.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
"wasn't the most graceful"
Or as my college roommate used to say, “He looks like an octopus falling out of a tree.”
Dooley-isms Archiving the Genius.
by kingofzachland on Jul 29, 2011 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions
On Clausen:
He came right after Manning and Martin, who were 5-1 against Alabama, 6-0 against Georgia, and won 2 SEC championships and a national championship.
I’m guessing that a lot of the negatively comes from the distinctly un-Tennessee inability to beat Georgia (including having a fumble returned 99 yards for a TD in a 41-14 home loss) and from being a part of the worst loss in my memory (2001 SECCG).
If he’d been QB from 2009 to 2011, we’d all appreciate him. But he had a tough act to follow.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Jul 29, 2011 11:03 AM EDT reply actions
On a different Vols news note:
Did anyone else see that we’re playing UTC in 2014? Derek Dooley is serious about playing one I-AA school per year, and I can’t say that I like it. I’ll tolerate it, especially given that 2014 already has a game scheduled against Oklahoma, but I’d much rather just play a nameless Sun Belt school than a SoCon school. At least we’re keeping it in the UT system.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Jul 29, 2011 11:06 AM EDT reply actions
I never really had anything bad to say about Clausen.
If the Vols hadn’t had a meltdown in the 2001 SECCG, they would have pantsed Miami in the BCS title game and he would be a god among Vol fans. I still hate to think about that game, though.
I think a lot of the folks his age
didn’t like him because of the way he acted during the offseason in the Fort and on The Strip…total prick. That is why I think he was awesome. Period.
And honestly…the fumble on the goalline against UGA wasn’t his fault. Should have been taught to reverse-out!
by GhostDance on Jul 29, 2011 8:44 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Clausen
Clausen was also 1 – 3 in bowl games, with the three loses all by double digits. He did have his moments though and won a few big games on the road in his day.
Personally, I’d prefer Andy Kelly to both Casey Clausen and Erik Ainge, but I’m sure some of that has to be bias because the 89, 90 and 91 Vols were really good which probably inflates my memory of Kelly.
Kelly got the rings
but both were equally clutch in the fourth quarter, and some of the most painful losses of his time here – ’01 LSU, ’01 Georgia, Clemson in the Peach Bowl – were by no means his fault.
by Will Shelton on Jul 30, 2011 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions
That's the thing I remember
Many of his wins were because of his play, and many of the losses were despite his play. The one really bad game of Casey’s that I remember (brutally, vividly) is the Florida game in the downpour. That was unfortunate on many levels.
Andy Kelly did lead some good teams...
but was only better than 50/50 on TD/INT ratio once, and this was with a credible rushing attack plus Alvin Harper and Carl Pickens.
Casey is probably the second best passing QB in UT history, although Bray could make a run.
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