BATON ROUGE, La. — Rick Clausen, killjoy?

Rick Clausen, party pooper?

Rick Clausen, breaker of 92,000 hearts?

He would apologize, if this weren't just a game. He would feel worse, if he didn't feel so darn great.

Rick Clausen, a lesson in resiliency.

There. That's the way LSU fans should look at this.

You can do anything if you stick with it. There is no mountain too big to climb.

A hurricane. A 21-point deficit.

Football as a metaphor for life.

When Clausen flung the ball into the LSU student section at the end of Tennessee's stunning 30-27 win in overtime, it showed what you can do if you never give up.

This working for you, LSU fans?

OK, maybe not.

And it is hard not to feel for the 92,000 who crowded into Tiger Stadium Monday night looking for relief from their pain.

They had waited for this game since last November. They would wait no more.

They would come and watch football and feel good for at least one night.

"Every person here has a story," said Kelly Johnson, an LSU fan. "My sister worked in New Orleans. She doesn't have a job any more. You see Glenn over there? He's got 10 people living in his house from Lake Charles. Every single one of us has been touched by the hurricanes."

And they all stopped for one night. A Monday night, and how weird was that?

But there was a reassuring sameness, too, and a comfort in the return of suspended rituals.

Mike the Tiger. Beat Tennessee. Tiger Bait. The Golden Band from Tigerland.

Oh, and then the game started, and it was as if Tennessee was in on the deal.

LSU was up 21-0 at halftime. LSU was having a ball.

The signature play came in the second quarter, when Erik Ainge flung the ball from deep in the end zone to avoid a safety.

LSU's Kenneth Hollis caught it. Touchdown, LSU.

And nobody paid much attention when Clausen came trotting in to replace Ainge.

Clausen began his career at LSU, remember. He started exactly one game as a redshirt freshman, against Ole Miss.

Clausen completed 2-of-6 passes for nine yards, was picked off once, fumbled twice and was summarily benched.

So what exactly was there to fear?

Clausen had never led a touchdown drive in Tiger Stadium. And he had actually been a Tiger! Why would he start now?

But sure enough, he did just that. Dink-dunk-doink, the guy went to work.

The best thing about Clausen is that he has never let himself be limited by how others see him.

LSU fans might see him as a washout.

Clausen doesn't care.

Phillip Fulmer might see him as a backup.

Whatever, boss.

Fulmer had said during the week he was going to stick with Ainge no matter what. But there was Clausen, early in the third quarter, leading a touchdown drive.

It still seemed futile, especially when LSU tacked on another field goal. That made it 24-7. Nice try, Rick.

So Clausen led another touchdown drive. And then, miraculously, JaMarcus Russell thew an interception that Jonathan Hefney returned to the 2.

The rest was inevitable. Ask anyone in the place. Tennessee scored a touchdown, then added a field goal, then waited for overtime.

Back came Clausen onto the field. The LSU fans saw him a little differently, now. So did everyone.

He flipped the ball to Gerald Riggs. He directed the Vols to the 1. Then he handed off to Riggs for the touchdown and the win.

Riggs dropped the ball in the end zone. Clausen ran to pick it up. And then he cocked his arm and sent a message sailing into space.

Anything's possible, sports fans.

Just look at me.