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LOGAN — As Utah State’s football team wrapped up its second day of two-a-day practices, the first-string starters and veterans stepped aside to give a few extra reps to the underclassmen.
For one sophomore, the extra time on the field is nothing new.
Backup quarterback Darell Garretson knows all too well what it’s like to be a starter. He was the Aggies’ primary signal-caller for nearly eight games last year, and he went 6-1 as a starter after Chuckie Keeton suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Through that experience, Garretson and Keeton formed a special friendship on the gridiron.
“He’s been there and done that already,” Garretson said of his bond with Keeton. “He’s been in my spot, been a true sophomore and he knows how that is. I think it’s just one of those things where we help each out, with looks and with him knowing so much more than I do.”
Garretson hopes to see plenty of snaps during the Aggies’ first scrimmage of fall camp Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Romney Stadium. And though senior Keeton is the named starter, the sophomore from Chandler, Arizona, knows he’s only an injury away from regaining the spotlight.
That’s why he doesn’t see Keeton as competition, Garretson said.
“We don’t try to one-up each other,” the sophomore said. “It’s a team thing. It’s pretty special that it is really team-oriented.”
When Garretson took snaps in Monday morning’s practice, he played like a veteran, eventually finding senior wide receiver Ronald Butler for a 25-yard touchdown pass. He nearly added another in the afternoon session, leading his team down the field and coming within inches of a 10-yard touchdown pass to junior college transfer Hunter Sharp before the clock ran out.
The 6-foot, 200-pound quarterback inspires plenty of confidence in his teammates. He set school records for consecutive wins by freshman quarterback by going 5-0 as a starter, then completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 1,446 yards and 10 touchdowns with seven interceptions — another Utah State record for a freshman quarterback.
He also became the first Aggie quarterback to win his first start as a freshman since Riley Nelson took the reins in 2006, and his team beat No. 24 Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl to cap last year.
Now a year older, Garretson has taken a step behind the scenes, focusing on learning from and being the best backup to Heisman contender and Davey O’Brien watch-list nominee Keeton.
“You’ve got to compete with yourself. I’m not competing against Chuckie, and he’s not competing against me,” Garretson said. “We don’t do that around here. It’s not something we do. We compete with ourselves.”
For all the stats, the most impressive thing about Garretson is simple: He wins, Utah State coach Matt Wells said.
“I think the thing that Darell brings is some game experience,” Wells said. “The guy has played in seven games, and he’s won six of them. That’s the No. 1 stat as a quarterback — games won. He brings confidence, he brings game experience, he brings accuracy and we’re confident when he walks into the game.”
Wells will look to all of his players in Tuesday’s scrimmage to bring intensity and focus as the Aggies prepare for a season opener on the road at Tennessee.
“We’re looking forward to the scrimmage, getting out in the stadium, under the lights with fans,” Wells said. “I want to see consistent play and execution by the vets. I want to see how the young kids react.”
