Ratliff adjusting to new status

Brett Ratliff no longer resides in anonymity.

After stepping in for the injured Brian Johnson as Utah's starting quarterback in last month's 41-34 overtime win at BYU, the junior college transfer has achieved celebrity status.

Ratliff drew a warm round of applause when introduced at a recent basketball game in the Huntsman Center. Over the Thanksgiving break, he was approached for autographs in Vernal, where he spent the holiday with his girlfriend.

Now, Ratliff is preparing for a return to his home state of California. He'll make his second career start for the Utes on Dec. 29 in the Emerald Bowl at San Francisco's SBC Park. The stadium is about three hours or so from his hometown of Chico — close enough for family and friends to attend.

"It's an awesome situation. I'm just excited for it, excited to get another game under my belt," Ratliff said. "It's a great thing for the team, for the fans and for Utah. It's great for everybody."

After throwing four touchdown passes and rushing for 112 yards and a score in the victory over BYU, Ratliff is eager for his encore.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "I'm going to have a lot of people come to the game. I'm trying to get tickets."

In the meantime, Ratliff and the Utes are busy preparing for the game. They'll learn who their opponent is (most likely Virginia) this weekend.

Despite the variables and the fact that Ratliff will have more than the six days he had to get ready for the Cougars, he's not approaching things any differently.

"I think it's all about preparation. I was prepared as can be for the BYU game," Ratliff said. "We don't know who we're playing yet, but you've just got to take it as any other game. That's how I took the BYU game and look how it came out. I'm just excited to play."

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham agreed the preparation is similar. Ratliff, however, is taking a greater leadership role.

"It is his team right now. Brett has stepped up," Whittingham said. "Much more of his strength as a quarterback is his demeanor, his leadership capabilities, the way he handles himself and the respect he commands in the huddle."

Johnson, meanwhile, had successful surgery on his injured knee Thursday. Whittingham said everything went well and Johnson could be back in 4-6 months.

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E-mail: dirk@desnews.com