Alex Smith will start at quarterback for the 49ers heading into the 2011 season. San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh formally made the announcement after the team's 20-17 victory at San Diego in Thursday night's preseason finale. "I'm pretty sure we can say that," Harbaugh said. "He played with a very cool head and made good decisions. He played the way you want him to out there -- calm, cool, collected."