He’s Passing On to a New Role : After Leading Winning Rally, Gutierrez to Make His First Start for San Diego State

Last week’s heroic passing performance might have finally put Tim Gutierrez on the map, but the former Santa Clara High standout who has been a backup quarterback at San Diego State said his greatest college memory is just hours away.

Gutierrez, 22, will start his first game as an Aztec tonight against Minnesota. He should be free of jitters before the 6:05 kickoff at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium after what he did last week.

Coming off the bench with 12 minutes 40 seconds remaining and San Diego State trailing by 17 points at Air Force, Gutierrez completed 13 of 21 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Aztecs to a stunning 38-31 victory.

With starting quarterback David Lowery out because of a broken leg, the junior from Oxnard finds himself a key figure in the Aztecs’ plan to win a Western Athletic Conference championship.

Gutierrez seems unfazed.

“I’m just a patient guy,” he said. “I’m soft-spoken. I’m not much with words. I just let my actions do my talking.”

Gutierrez’s actions spoke volumes at Santa Clara, where he passed for 7,272 yards and 52 touchdowns in three seasons. His 70.4 completion percentage as a junior set a state record. He was The Times’ Ventura County back of the year and Southern Section Division VIII player of the year as a senior in 1989.

At San Diego State, Gutierrez suffered a bitter disappointment last fall when he didn’t get a promised start against UCLA. Then he had back surgery to repair a herniated disc and missed spring practice. In August, he broke his right index finger.

But neither his skills nor his outlook deteriorated. Gutierrez, 6 feet 1, 205 pounds, showed a strong arm and sharp instincts against Air Force.

On his first series, which resulted in a 28-yard field goal by former Antelope Valley High kicker Peter Holt, Gutierrez hit four receivers on his first four passes.

Gutierrez has never been able to unseat Lowery--a fiery competitor who has started three seasons.

But when opportunity knocked, Gutierrez was surprised at how everything flowed. His 19- and 36-yard touchdowns passes to Darnay Scott seemed to go in slow motion, he said.

“I don’t remember how we got the ball; I don’t know what yard line we were on,” Gutierrez said. “I said, ‘Let’s get things moving. We’ve got nothing to lose here.’ The only thing going through my mind was to complete passes, to stay in the pocket and not be too antsy and take what’s given to me.

“I watched the films later and said, ‘Damn, I did that? I don’t remember doing that.’ ”

Gutierrez erased the bad memories of the 1992 UCLA game.

With Lowery sidelined all week by a sprained back, coaches told Gutierrez he would start against the Bruins. Tim’s father, Frank, and brother, Frank Jr.--also former Santa Clara quarterbacks--bought 50 tickets and led a caravan from Oxnard to the Rose Bowl.

Thirty minutes before game time, Coach Al Luginbill told Gutierrez he was starting Lowery. The Aztecs were routed, 35-7. Gutierrez was dejected. The family was angry.

“They didn’t have confidence in Tim,” said Frank Jr., 33.

Tim agreed.

“I’m a competitor,” Tim said after he was inserted with 11:02 left and the Aztecs trailing, 21-0. “I worked all week for nothing.”

Bitterly disappointed, Gutierrez no longer was satisfied with being Lowery’s caddie.

Against Air Force, Gutierrez hit tight end Marc Ziegler for 15 yards on his first play. Then he found Marshall Faulk for five, Curtis Shearer for 15 and Scott for 29.

After the Falcons fumbled the ball away on their 19, Gutierrez rifled the ball to Scott in the end zone to make it 31-24.

On the next series, Gutierrez hit Keith Williams for 29 yards on third and 10. His 16-yard strike to Peterson set up Faulk’s three-yard scoring run to tie the score, 31-31.

When it looked as if Gutierrez had no magic left on fourth down with 34 seconds left, he hit Scott with his 36-yarder to win the game.

“He acted like a four-year starter out there,” tackle Louie Zumstein said. “I was excited. I was like a proud father. I knew we would score every time we had the ball. Everybody else knew too.”

It was a different Gutierrez from the one who completed three of eight for 40 yards against UCLA.

“(The UCLA game) made me worry about how they felt about my ability as a quarterback,” Gutierrez said. “That made me determined. Now I don’t think they have any doubts.”