Ratliff ready to roll
SALT LAKE CITY -- University of Utah head football coach Kyle
Whittingham announced senior Brett Ratliff as the Utes' starting
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quarterback Wednesday morning.
Ratliff and junior Tommy Grady had been in competition for the position
throughout fall camp.
"It was obviously a very competitive situation and not an easy decision
to make," Whittingham said. "Both Brett and Tommy performed well all
during camp and both are certainly worthy of the starting position. What
it ultimately came down to was Brett's performance in the two games he
started at the end of last season, combined with the excellent job he
did during fall camp of not turning the ball over, moving the first team
offense, and getting us into the end zone."
Ratliff helped lead Utah to a 41-34 overtime victory over rival BYU in
the final regular-season contest last season. He then quarterbacked the
Utes to a 38-10 rout of then-No. 24 Georgia Tech in the Emerald Bowl.
Junior Brian Johnson began fall camp in the equation, but decided to
redshirt late last week to give his surgically repaired left knee more
time to fully heal. Johnson started the first 10 games of last season
for Utah.