Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

UNLV

6 Mike Clausen

Mike Clausen
  • Defensive back
  • Grade: Senior
  • Height: 6′2″
  • Weight: 220 lbs

2011 Season Statistics by Game

Game Passing Rushing
Date Opp. W/L Score Comp Att Int % Yds Yds/Att TDs Att Yds Yds/Att TDs
9/24 SUT L 16-41 1 1 100.0 23 23 1 - -
11/26 SDSU L 14-31 - - - - - 1 4 4 -
Totals    1 1 100.0 23 23 1 1 4 4
UNLV: The Rebels' 2010 season-opening starting quarterback is now a returner at the safety position ... Will look to earn time again in the secondary as a senior after missing spring practice because of academic suspension ... Lettered on defense a year ago after converting from quarterback ... A strong, athletic competitor who has started nine career games - five at QB and four at DB ... Requested to move to defense after being supplanted by Omar Clayton as team's starting signal caller after opener .... Still stands fifth in UNLV history for TD rushes by a QB with nine ... As a quarterback, he led the Rebels to two victories in record-setting fashion as a rookie starter filling in for an injured Clayton ... Became the fourth Rebel frosh to win his first career start and the next week joined Scott Sims (1987) as the only UNLV QBs to win their first two starts as freshmen ... Set school freshman record for consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception with 119 ... That total was just 19 attempts short of the NCAA FBS record by a freshman to start a career, set by current Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy in 1986 ... Clausen's two picks in 125 total attempts made for the second lowest interception percentage for a UNLV QB in a season (.0160) and was the best ever for a Rebel freshman ... Hails from the same program that produced former Rebel standout and Denver Broncos safety Sam Brandon.

2010: Won the starting nod in Game One vs. Wisconsin but was replaced under center in the third quarter ... Missed the following game while converting to new position but made first career appearance on defense in trip to Idaho ... Made first career start on defense in Game Five vs. Nevada, Reno and then started the next four at safety as well ... Finished with 31 total tackles ... Brought in his first interception in a win over New Mexico in Game Four ... Picked up a fumble and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown at San Diego State. The turnover marked the eighth-longest fumble return in school history and fifth-longest returned for a score.

2009: Appeared in all 12 games at QB, including starting at UNR in Game Five ... Set multiple career highs vs. the Wolf Pack by completing 26 of 50 attempts for 276 yards to go with one TD ... Finished second on team with seven rushing touchdowns and 288 yards on the ground ... Came off the bench to spell Clayton vs. Oregon State in Game Two and nearly directed his team to an upset of the 24th-ranked Beavers ... Down 20-7 in the fourth quarter, Clausen led UNLV on a seven-play, 66-yard drive that culminated with a 13-yard scoring toss to Rodelin Anthony ... After the Rebel defense held, Clausen went back to work, this time on a six-play, 51-yard drive ending with him finding Phillip Payne in the end zone for an eventual 21-20 lead ... On the night, Clausen completed 6-of-9 attempts for 58 yards and also rushed four times for 25 net yards ... Completed all four of his pass attempts in season opener vs. Sacramento State ... Completed at least one pass in nine of 12 games and posted a 59.1 completion percentage ... Rushed for a career-long 40 yarder at TCU en route to a 65-yard day vs. the Horned Frogs ... Found the end zone twice with his feet in a victory over Colorado State in Game 10.

2008: Earned his first letter as a Rebel by playing in nine games, including starting the final three after an injury to Clayton in Game Nine ... Became ninth freshman QB to start a game for the Rebels ... Finished season with 767 yards and five touchdowns passing to go with 87 net yards and two scores rushing ... Joined Clayton as the only two Rebel freshman QBs to throw for more than 200 yards in starting debut with 203 in victory over Lobos, during which he completed 17-of-34 and tossed two TDs ... Followed that up with a 16-30 night for 138 yards and a score in win over Wyoming ... Did not throw his first interception as a collegian until the fourth quarter of the final game of the season and then threw his next one on very next attempt vs. SDSU ... Despite the pair of picks, he set career highs in completions (26), attempts (40) and yards (316) against the Aztecs ... Made his debut in the season-opening win over Utah State, completing 2-of-3 attempts for 29 yards ... Started second half at Arizona State and hit 3-of-5 for 19 yards in victory over Sun Devils ... Rushed for two short touchdowns and completed 2-of-3 for 30 yards at BYU.

2007: Redshirted season.

HIGH SCHOOL: A 2007 graduate of John W. North HS ... Lettered three times for coach Lou Randall as part of a championship prep program in California and voted the 2006 CIF Eastern Division Player of the Year ... Ranked the No. 10 quarterback in the entire Golden State by Scout.com ... Originally was a safety before becoming the starting quarterback midway through his sophomore year ... Excelled at the position, leading the Huskies to a 14-0 record to go along with Ivy League and State CIF championships as a senior ... Named the MVP of the Ivy League and CIF in 2006.

PERSONAL: Michael Brandon Clausen was born on July 9, 1989, in San Bernardino, CA ... The son of Debbie Clausen and Cedric Evans ... Has a brother, Marcus Baugh, and a sister, Maryah Baugh ... Majoring in psychology.

--Courtesy of UNLVRebels.com