Utes looking for QB backup

As Alex Smith goes, so go the Utes.

That, in a nutshell, is how many pundits view Utah's hopes of repeating as Mountain West Conference champions. As the program's only quarterback with Division I experience, the junior carries quite a load on his shoulders.

Unlike a year ago, when the Utes still had former starters Brett Elliott and Lance Rice on the sidelines, there are no proven answers waiting in reserve. Adam Madsen, Fano Tagovailoa and Brian Johnson are newcomers vying for the No. 2 spot behind Smith, who is 9-1 as Utah's starter.

"I hope all of them become good backups this year. We're trying to get them all ready to go just in case something happens where they all have to play," said quarterbacks coach Dan Mullen. "I don't know if there's going to be just one backup quarterback if something happened to Alex. You might see all three of those guys play in a game. We'd use each individual one's strong points to help the team in certain situations."

In preparing for a "what if" situation involving Smith, Mullen hopes to get at least one of the backups some "meaningful" game experience (possibly in the first quarter) in Utah's season opener on Sept. 2.

"We'll try to get our backup in the game early against Texas A&M just to give that guy experience, get him in the fire and see what he can do," said Mullen. "It's wide-open right now."

Utah coach Urban Meyer said Madsen, who was Dixie State's quarterback last season, or the 17-year-old Johnson will most likely be Smith's primary backup. Tagovailoa, the least experienced quarterback of the group (but who is further along than Meyer expected), is a curveball he'd like to throw at opposing defenses in certain situations.

The depth chart, he added, will be determined in the next two weeks. There's a sense of urgency because Utah's offense isn't functional without Smith.

"If Alex went down we wouldn't be able to move the ball. We'd have to be tricky, and I don't like that," said Meyer, who anticipates having the situation fixed before the season begins.

Though quarterbacks take a lot of hits in Utah's spread offense, Mullen said the Utes may be a bit more aggressive with Smith in an effort to maximize his strengths and because the all-American candidate has proven ability to lead a team effort.

A variety of contributions, Mullen said, is what makes the Utes successful.