CORVALLIS, ore. — University of Utah publicist Liz Abel was grim as she announced the news: a likely shoulder separation for quarterback Brian Johnson. Then then there was that other little nugget: a reported broken leg for running back Matt Asiata.

Not to mention a season-opening 24-7 loss to Oregon State.

What, no typhoid outbreak?

Hang on. The season's not over yet.

Or maybe it is.

There have been worse days for the Utes, somewhere back in time, when injuries came in cloudburst. But Thursday was a doozy. It hurt them where they live — in the heart.

Before they've even broken a sweat? Hard as it is to imagine — didn't the season just start yesterday? — the Utes are already in choppy waters. Don't plan on any championships this year. Here it comes, a season of adversity. Again.

Off to a nice start in his major college career, Asiata was carted off in the first quarter with the teams locked in a scoreless tie. If early reports hold, his season is over. But that might have been only the second-worst news of the night for the Utes. Things got seriously dark in the late second quarter when Johnson left with his injury. He'll probably be gone 3-4 weeks. Who knows where the Utes will be by then.

Suddenly, backup Tommy Grady — relegated to backup duty ever since transferring from Oklahoma — became the coaching staff's new best friend.

Welcome to Adversity Central. Problems? Yeah, they have problems. Now the Utes can see if all that rhetoric all teams employ really works. They can look forward to spending the next few weeks employing the best of the rest. It's not ideal, but it'll have to do.

By the way, anyone know if Brett Ratliff is available to help out for a game or two?

Difference is, Ratliff came on in 2005 at season's end. This year the Utes have a long, long, loooong road ahead. When when Johnson was injured in 2005, Ratliff pulled off wins over BYU and Georgia Tech. He ended the year looking like a comic book superhero.

Now it's going to be Grady's turn.

Although Thursday's season-opener was widely considered a serious challenge for the Utes — especially since the Beavers were ranked in some preseason polls — beating them wasn't an insurmountable obstacle. In fact, Utah has had little problem with Pac-10 teams in recent years.

You might say they've been auditioning for admission.