Casey Clausen: Saturday’s VFL Legend Of Game

In a release sent out on Wednesday, Tennessee announced that Casey Clausen will be honored as the VFL Legend of the Game this Saturday.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Casey Clausen was the road warrior as starting quarterback at the University of Tennessee. In four seasons, Tennessee teams went 14-1 on the road with Clausen starting under center from 2000-03.

Saturday, he returns to Neyland Stadium two weeks shy of the 14th anniversary of his first start in Knoxville to be honored as the VFL Legend of the Game prior to the Vols meeting with Florida.

Clausen’s first start was a 20-10 win over Alabama on Oct. 21, 2000, the first of three victories against the Crimson Tide. As a starter, Clausen was 5-2 against Alabama and Florida, 4-0 in Tuscaloosa and Gainesville.

The two road wins against the Gators are perhaps the most fondly-remembered performances of Clausen’s career.

A 34-32 upset in Gainesville in 2001 sent Tennessee to the SEC Championship game. Clausen was 17-25 for 168 yards and two touchdowns in that game, providing the perfect compliment to Travis Stephens’ 226 yards and two TDs against the second-ranked Gators.

A win in a noon game there two seasons later was highlighted by Clausen’s Hail Mary touchdown pass to James Banks as the first half expired that gave UT a 7-3 lead that it would never relinquish. Jabari Davis had two second-half rushing TDs to seal the game.

Clausen threw for 75 touchdowns in 44 career games, second-most in Tennessee history. He threw at least one TD in 35 of those contests. Clausen finished also finished his Tennessee career ranked second all-time in passing yards, (9,707), attempts (1,270), completions (775) and total wins (34).

He set career highs in attempts, completions and passing yards in his final collegiate start by going 31-55 for 384 yards in the 2004 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl against Clemson.

Clausen holds the Tennessee records for longest pass play, a 90-yard TD to Mark Jones against Georgia in 2003, and consecutive attempts without an interception with 143 in 2003. He threw for five touchdowns on three occasions, including at Alabama in 2003.

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