Clausen takes spotlight for Rebels in spring game

Justin M. Bowen

Quarterback Mike Clausen throws a pass Friday night as UNLV plays its annual spring game at Sam Boyd Stadium.

By Ryan Greene (contact)

Saturday, April 18, 2009 | midnight

No, the Rebels will not enter fall training camp in three months with any kind of a quarterback controversy.

After the scarlet team's 17-0 victory over the grays Friday night at Sam Boyd Stadium in UNLV's annual spring game, nothing has changed.

Omar Clayton is No. 1. Mike Clausen, well, he's still No. 1a.

In a running-clock affair that took about 90 minutes on a warm evening in front of a small gathering of fans, Clausen, the redshirt sophomore, stole the show.

He went 10-of-14 for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns. While Clayton's numbers weren't as gaudy -- he went 4-of-7 for 73 yards -- there was no one quicker to congratulate the 2008 season's super sub.

"I can never be mad at Mike for playing a good game," Clayton said. "Anytime he does something good, I'm right there with a high five or whatever. We compete when it comes to football, but we're friends before the rest of it. Football is football, and we like to see each other play well."

At the beginning of the night, it was settled that Clayton would handle the first quarter, then Clausen the second, and so on.

Clayton went just 1-for-3 for 12 yards in the first quarter, as the drives were abbreviated and conservative. Clausen came in and broke a scoreless tie on his first drive.

He went 4-of-6 on a 10-play, 77-yard drive, capping it by hitting Rodelin Anthony over the middle on a cross route for a 13-yard score.

"I told him after my first two drives in the first quarter, I said I have a tough time in the first quarter, and usually when that happens in practice, he does something good," Clayton said. "So I told him he had to go out there and get a touchdown, and he got it."

Clausen's second touchdown strike came on the first play of the fourth quarter. After rolling to his left, he lofted a pass down the left sideline out of near-desperation.

The ball found the waiting arms of Jerriman Robinson, who sauntered in from about 10 yards out to complete the 48-yard scoring play.

"Improvisation," Clausen quipped. "It was just fun, out there making something out of nothing."

Maybe the best thing for Clausen this spring was that he knew flat-out coming into it that he was not going to simply take Clayton's starting job, despite throwing for 767 yards, five touchdowns and leading the Rebels to two crucial late-season victories while Clayton nursed a torn MCL.

"You can't dwell on it, because it'll probably affect your play," he said. "So I just come out here and play like I'm a starting quarterback, whether I'm with the ones, twos or threes. I mean, I've accepted it."

The Rebels are fortunate to have two capable, young gunslingers, but also, they're fortunate that the two are such close of friends and can do nothing but be happy when the other succeeds.

"We've got a very healthy situation at quarterback," Rebels coach Mike Sanford said.

Anthony expanded on it, noting that the fluidity from Clayton's game to Clausen's makes for a smooth transition, no matter who's throwing.

"That's pretty amazing in itself," said the 6-foot-5 senior who caught four passes for 46 yards and the aforementioned score. "I've never seen a difference in rhythm. It's almost like they're twins or something. I never can tell a difference in the course of a game. Of course, there's the lefty and the righty, once in a rare, blue moon the ball will have a certain kick, but after that, I really can't. Even speed-wise. It's like they're twins and don't even know it. I'm gonna ask them about that."

So, yes, Clausen showed the same form Friday night that helped keep UNLV's bowl hopes alive until the very end of the 2008 season.

And Omar Clayton showed flashes of the proficiency that helped rack up 1,894 yards and 18 touchdowns in nine games before his injury.

Basically, no surprises. And that's a good thing.

"It just proves we're both capable, definitely, so that's an advantage as far as our team having two quarterbacks who are capable of going out and running an offense," Clausen said. "It's big ups to us."