Cool, calm and collected are some of the adjectives that have been used to describe Rick Clausen. Now, there’s "fun".



"You’ve got to love Rick," junior offensive lineman Arron Sears said of Clausen, Tennessee’s senior starting quarterback. "He’s always excited and smiling. He keeps it upbeat out there."



Sears said Clausen’s attitude makes other players want to give it their all.



"You’ve got to," Sears said. "because he’ll definitely do it for you."



Clausen’s toughness will be tested this week. The left-hander has a bruised left shoulder suffered against Ole Miss on Saturday. He also has two previous injuries that are still healing: two dislocated fingers on his right non-throwing hand and a strained Achilles tendon in his left ankle.



The left ankle is the biggest concern. Clausen was wearing a protective boot but said the injury would not affect his preparation this week.



"I’ll be fine," he said. "I’ll just fight through it. That’s what you’ve got to do."



Clausen was named the starter after helping UT overcome a 21-point halftime deficit and defeat Louisiana State 30-27 on Sept. 26.



Sophomore Erik Ainge started the LSU game and struggled before UT’s coaches replaced him with Ainge. Players cited Clausen’s calm, light-hearted demeanor as a factor in the comeback.



"People play better when they’re relaxed," Clausen said. "When you go take a test, people who study and prepare for the test go in there knowing that they’re going to do pretty well on the test.



"People who don’t prepare are really, really nervous and have a tendency to not do as well."



While Clausen is preparing, so is Georgia, whom UT faces Saturday. UT has survived offensively on mostly short passes in their two wins against LSU and Ole Miss.



Will the Bulldogs be more determined to stop UT’s short passing game?



"Whatever they decide to do, we’re going to adapt," Clausen said. "A lot of people say that I’ve got that dink and dunk offense, but ever since I’ve stepped on the field, we’ve put points on the board."



UT has struggled to make big plays in 2005. UT’s longest touchdown this season was 12 yards. UT is averaging 4.1 yards per touchdown.



"A lot of people are talking about big plays; we haven’t had too many up to this point," Clausen said. "That means we’re due."



Clausen said the long drives are fine with him as long as the Vols are getting into the endzone. Clausen said he intends to protect the ball and let UT’s defense make plays.



Still, Clausen said he missed some opportunities for big plays against Ole Miss.



"Sometimes guys just weren’t open or guys weren’t where I thought they would be," he said. "Rather than take a sack or try to force something and make a mistake, throw the ball away.



"People may boo or do whatever they do but that’s fine. I can take that. I’m not going to do anything drastic that is going to put our football team in a compromising situation."



Clausen declined to answer questions about a supposed heated exchange between he and UT head coach Phillip Fulmer after Fulmer decided to start Ainge before the LSU game.



"He could talk to you about that," Clausen said. "I just told him what I had to say and he told me where he stood. Whatever happened back then is over with and we’re moving forward from here on out."



Clausen reaffirmed that he was "pretty close" to quitting the team shortly after the decision.



Quitting doesn’t suit Clausen. Even during the hard times, he’s having too much fun.



"It is called a game for a reason," he said. "It’s supposed to be fun and it’s supposed to be enjoyable."

Shuffling Sears: Arron Sears said he expected to be moved back outside to tackle in practice this week. The junior started at left guard against Ole Miss.



Sears said he expected senior center Richie Gandy to return to practice this week and play Saturday against Georgia. That would allow Rob Smith to move back to left guard and Sears to move back to left tackle.



"It’s pretty dominant with me and Rob on the same side together," Sears said.



Sears said he doesn’t have a preference between guard or tackle but sees reason to focus on one position.



"They say once you learn that one position and stay in it awhile," he said. "you can get a lot better at it."



Sears is pretty good already. He was named the SEC lineman of the week for his performance against the Rebels.



"I didn’t feel like I played as good as I had been playing," Sears said. "It was okay, I guess."

Tide Turner: Many of UT’s players tuned in to see the conclusion of the Alabama-Florida game Saturday afternoon. Thanks to Alabama’s 31-3 win, UT is tied with Florida in the SEC standings.



The Gators still hold the tiebreaker because of their victory against UT.



"I thought they’d get beat," Sears said. "But I didn’t think they’d get beat by that much."

Punisher: Cory Anderson said UT’s offense could benefit from more plays like the 15- yard reception against Ole Miss when the 275-pound fullback ran over a Rebel defender.



"I think that can wear on a team," the junior said. "If people try to tackle me the whole game and have to tackle the tailbacks, it can help the team."

Ride The Wade: Jonathan Wade said he is better suited to handle success than he has been in the past. The junior cornerback scored a 19-yard touchdown off an interception return against Ole Miss.



"Last year, there were times when I might have had a good game and it went to my head," Wade said. "Then, the next game was just horrendous.



"I know now that one game means nothing if the rest of them are bad. I’m just trying to stay humble and stay focused."



Wade should have plenty of opportunities as long as he’s playing opposite senior captain Jason Allen. Opposing offenses are much more likely to test Wade than Allen, an All-American.



"I still haven’t done anything," Wade said. "compared to everybody else out there that I’m playing with."

Up Front: UT junior defensive tackle Justin Harrell leads all SEC lineman in tackles with six per game. Florida’s Willie Evans is second with 4.8. UT’s Parys Haralson and Jesse Mahelona are tied for 12th with 3.7.