BYU NewsNet - The Search to Find a Back-up Quarterback

No college football team ever wants to lose its starting quarterback. Especially not BYU, where Max Hall is the starter.

Hall was recently named to ESPN.com's Top 10 clutch players of 2008 list, making the cut at No. 10. Hall is expected to be the make-or-break player to give BYU the best chance to crack the BCS bubble this year.

"You convert on fourth down and you make a list like that," Hall said after Monday's practice. "It's an honor, but hopefully I can be clutch this season, when it matters."

Despite his accolades and success, Hall relies just as much on the rest of his team, including his back-up quarterbacks, to direct the Cougar ship to BCS success. In fact, Hall refers to himself as more of a "manager" than a starting quarterback.

"You have a lot of weapons and a lot of support," Hall said. "My job is just to manage everything. I've got great talent around me, then the coaches tell me how to do it, and I just have to do it. I just have to manage [the rest of the team], get the ball to the right people and let them do what they do best."

While the BYU coaching staff has yet to name an official back-up to the Arizona State transfer, a few names tend to stand out above the rest.

Brenden Gaskins, a junior from Farmington, N.M., was the back-up to Hall for all of 2007, when the Cougars finished with an 11-2 record and a MWC championship. The then-sophomore saw time in six games and finished the season with two completions for 31 yards.

But he said that doesn't give him an advantage over the group.

"I still feel like I have to prove myself," Gaskins said. "Like I have a lot I need to work on. I'm just out here trying to do my best. I feel like it's a privilege just to be on the team. I want to do whatever I can just to help out."

Sophomore Kurt McEuen, a native of Heber City and former Wasatch High stand-out, called the shots on the game-prep offense of last year's team. But McEuen has been getting a lot of chances to prove himself during fall camp, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get the back-up nod.

But even if McEuen gets the call and Gaskins isn't selected, the latter won't be too disappointed.

"If the coaches want me to do something else, I will do whatever," Gaskins said. "It's just great to be on the team."

Expect to hear that attitude from any of the other back-ups to Hall. As long as the former Sun Devil and 2007's best sophomore quarterback is at the helm, the rest of the team will follow his lead.

"Max is good enough for us to go 11-2 last year and win a bowl game," Gaskins said. "I think that speaks volumes. Everyone saw what we did last year as a team. But despite individual efforts, I don't think we would have been where we are now without the team effort. It goes on everybody."