BATON ROUGE &045; A funny thing happened on the way to the woodshed.

No. 10 Tennessee, after 30 minutes of listless football, exploded for 30 second-half points en route to a 30-27 overtime win Monday night in Baton Rouge.

Tennessee tailback Gerald Riggs scored the game winner in overtime, but it was the play of Rick Claussen, bumped earlier in the week from the quarterback rotation, who put the Vols in a position to win.

The left-handed senior went 21-of- 32

for 196 yards to lead the Vols (2-1, 1-1) to the win. Riggs finished with 89 yards on 24 rushes.

After the first half, the possibility of a Volunteer comeback seemed remote.

Senior tailback Joseph Addai wasted no time. On the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage, he took an inside handoff, saw nothing there and headed outside. After beating the Volunteer defense to the corner, he coasted in 24 yards for the score.

LSU had its defense to thank for the field position. Jesse Daniels stripped Volunteer starter Eric Ainge on his first pass attempt. Kenneth Hollis recovered for the Tigers.

LSU scored quickly again to start the second quarter. Russell’s plunge from one yard out capped a four-play, 70-yard drive that featured a 50-yard flea flicker from Russell to Craig Davis.

The third score &045; and seeming back-breaker &045; was again due to the defense.

Ronnie Prude downed a Chris Jackson’s punt at the Tennessee one-yard line. Ainge got nowhere on a sneak and the Tigers weren’t fooled by his play fake on second down. He rolled to his left, where Cameron Vaughan was waiting for him. In an attempt to avoid the safety, Ainge flung the ball toward the line of scrimmage and into the arms of Hollis, who walked it in for a touchdown.

The errant pass was Ainge’s last of the night. He was banged into the goal stanchion on the interception and lifted for senior Rick Claussen. Claussen, who spent two seasons at LSU before transferring to Tennessee, went the rest of the way. Ainge finished 7-of-19 for 54 yards and one interception.

LSU had a chance to break the Vols’ spirit, but wasted the opportunity.

With the half winding down, LSU drove to the Tennessee 15, where Russell used the team’s last time out with under 20 seconds to play. He rolled out left, found no one open and ran toward the end zone. He was stopped just short of the five-yard line, and fans groaned as the clock ran out before the field goal team could get on the field.

&uot;I wasn’t thinking about getting out of bounds,&uot; Russell said. &uot;I was just trying to make a play.&uot;

The gaff gave Tennessee life entering the half. After stopping LSU to start the third quarter, Claussen led his team on an 11-play drive,61-yard drive, using quick drops and short passes to work his team down the field. Two of his biggest throws, a third and 15 from the Tennessee 15 and the 8-yard strike for the touchdown, both went to wideout Bret Smith, cutting the deficit to 21-7.

After another LSU three and out &045; the Tigers gained just 56 yards after the break &045; Claussen had the Volunteers on the move again before getting sacked near midfield, forcing a punt.

After a solid return from Skyler Green &045; he averaged 18 yards on his five returns &045; LSU started at the 50. Needing to regain control, Miles turned to Addai, who rushed four straight times, picking up 22 yards. The drive stalled, but Chris Jackson booted a 42-yard field goal to widen LSU’s lead to 24-7.

Undaunted, Claussen took the Vols right down the field, going 75 yards &045; mostly through the air &045; before taking it in himself on fourth and goal from inside the one, making it 24-14.

Things didn’t get really tight for LSU fans until Russell threw a third and eight pass into the arms of Tennessee’s Jonathon Hefney, who returned the ball to the LSU 2. Two plays later and it was a 24-21 game with 7:57 remaining.

LSU, after another three and out, gave the ball back to Tennessee. Nine plays later, the score was tied after a James Wilhoit field goal from 28 yards with 2:02 left.

LSU was lucky it held Tennessee to three: yet another dropped ball by a streaking wide receiver earlier in the drive would have put the Vols on top.

Death Valley was silent the game went into overtime.

LSU started with the ball, they had to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Colt David, who kicks extra points and short field goals for the team.

It didn’t hold up against the Volunteers, who punted just once in the second half.

The defense, after getting scorched for nearly 600 yards in its opener against Arizona State, gave up just 90 in the first half before relapsing in the second half, allowing 230 yards.