Matt Gutierrrez, shown in 2003 when he was the backup quarterback for Michigan, was supposed to start for the Wolverines in 2004, but he suffered a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder before the season. He couldn't win back the job in 2005, and he transferred to Division I-AA Idaho State last January. Photo by The Associated Press

The job was his, the chance to be the star as 110,000 fans sang "Hail! to the victors valiant" after yet another touchdown pass.

That was supposed to be Matt Gutierrez's life.

He was supposed to be Michigan's quarterback for the 2004 season. He already had been named the starter the previous spring.

All Gutierrez had to do was go through summer conditioning to get ready for a preseason training camp in which he would take the first-team snaps.

Only it didn't work out that way.

Gutierrez suffered a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, and any chance of leading one of the nation's more storied football programs vanished.

And not just for that season. He didn't get the starting job back in 2005 and didn't want to spend his senior season signaling plays from the sideline.

"I pretty much felt like I had done everything to get on the field," Gutierrez said. "The only way I would have an opportunity to play was if something happened to the guy in front of me. I didn't want having my opportunity rest on one of my friends getting injured."

So Gutierrez left, transferring to Division I-AA Idaho State, where he could play immediately.

He'll start against UNLV at 7 p.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.

"I know (Gutierrez is) a great competitor and, from what I hear, a great quarterback," UNLV cornerback Eric Wright said. "The only thing I can do at this point is watch film, so I can know offensively what schemes they like to do as far as route concepts. But really at this point, with there being no film on the quarterback, there's not too much you can do. You've got to be prepared in other areas."

Gutierrez might be a bit of a mystery man to the Rebels but apparently not to his new Bengals teammates.

Idaho State coach Larry Lewis said Gutierrez didn't expect the position to be handed to him when he arrived in January.

Gutierrez (6 feet 4 inches, 231 pounds) worked hard in practice to win over his new teammates and earn the starting job.

"Matt really brings an ability to throw, along with escapability," Lewis said. "Matt's an all-around quarterback. In years past, we've had kids with a strong arm who couldn't run, or we've had kids who could run but didn't have a strong arm. He studies. He knows when the routes break, where they break and what routes we run."

Gutierrez always seemed to be a step ahead at Concord, Calif., power De La Salle High School. He never lost a game as a three-year starter, and the Spartans were named the USA Today national champions in 2000 and 2001.

SuperPrep and Rivals.com listed him as one of the nation's top 100 prospects.

Gutierrez didn't drag out the recruiting process. He visited Oregon and Michigan before selecting the Wolverines in December 2001.

His big chance came in 2004, or so he thought, before the shoulder injury ended Gutierrez's dream of starting for Michigan.

Chad Henne took over when Gutierrez went down, leading Michigan to a 9-3 record, a Big Ten Conference co-championship and a Rose Bowl appearance.

By the time Gutierrez came back in 2005, Henne was not about to give up the starting job.

Even though Gutierrez stuck it out one more season, he had to leave.

"(The injury) was definitely a challenge, but the thing I realized is it gave me a better perspective on football ... that if you're fortunate to have the opportunity to play football, you can play at any level," Gutierrez said. "Also, guys get hurt in football every single day, and they fight back from the injury and come back and are better players than before the injury. I try to keep that in mind."

Idaho State became his destination.

The Bengals needed a quarterback to replace departed starter Matt Hagler.

Idaho State also returned most of an offense that averaged 27.1 points per game, third in the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals have two quality receivers, two talented running backs and the entire offensive line back.

"I felt they had a really good team back, and I like it here," Gutierrez said.

But the focus will be on Gutierrez. His time at Michigan didn't go the way he hoped, and now he has something to prove with Idaho State.

"As I look at kids who transfer, they have something to prove," Lewis said. "Being on the I-AA level, you have something to prove, especially when playing a I-A team."