At some point during the offseason, Utah State’s backup quarterback got Bronco Mendenhall thinking about Taysom Hill.
So when sophomore QB Anthony Garcia trotted out onto the field at Maverik Stadium on Saturday night, it was to line up as a wide receiver.
Part of that was necessity; the Aggies are dealing with some injuries at the position. Part of that was a philosophy Mendenhall has carried with him since he was coaching at BYU.
“This philosophy really goes all the way back to Taysom Hill at BYU while he was our quarterback,” Mendenhall said. “If there would have been another viable option at quarterback … we certainly would have used Taysom elsewhere. The [New Orleans] Saints are currently. He’s played about every position for them.”
Garcia, a 6-foot-1 sophomore from Sacramento, finished Saturday’s game with three catches for 51 yards.
The backup QB also ran for a two-point conversion in the third quarter.
Mendenhall said that during his time as Virginia’s head coach, he also wanted his backup quarterbacks to play other positions.
“It’s way more fun to play than watch,” he said. “And I think you can actually learn to play the position of quarterback while playing another position, and I think you’re more integrated in the offense. So yeah, [Garcia] is just a great candidate for that.”