Unflappable Fouch at quarterback

Published 11:55 pm Tuesday, September 30, 2008

SEATTLE — When Ronnie Fouch took over the Washington offense from an injured Jake Locker on Saturday, Stanford did what any defense would do to a redshirt freshman coming off the bench.

The Cardinal brought pressure. Lots of pressure.

But Fouch, who had just entered a close game with his team driving, recognized the pressure before it came. He audibled out of the third-and-eight pass play to an option run, and David Freeman took the pitch for 12 yards and first down, keeping alive an eventual touchdown drive.

“That was the game plan call,” said Fouch, a 6-foot-1, 209-pounder from Redlands, Calif. “Whenever we see that front that their defense was in, we were to audible to a speed option. So my first play I got in I had to run the game plan and run the show and act like I was meant to be out there, so I had to make that audible.”

The calm demeanor Fouch showed in that situation and for the rest of the game is why Washington players and coaches aren’t panicking despite losing Locker for six to eight weeks with a fractured thumb.

“He looked like a veteran out there Saturday,” said offensive coordinator Tim Lappano. “It was never too big for him, they blitzed him, all out, eight-man blitz the very first play he went in there. He made the check and pitched it off the end man and had a 12-yard first-down gain in a critical situation in the red zone. It’s not too big for him and he’s very confident.”

Facing reporters on Monday, the Huskies’ newly minted starting quarterback was equally composed, answering questions unemotionally, sounding unflappable.

“I’m pretty relaxed and confident,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll get too nervous, because I’ve been thrown in games where I haven’t been prepared to go. I’ve prepared for a lot of stuff now, and my mindset is just to beat Arizona right now.”

A calm, cool and collected Fouch is nothing new to those who know him. Fouch grew up around football, having a grandfather who played for USC and a father who played quarterback at University of Redlands. He’s been a quarterback since he was eight and he long ago learned not to panic in big situations.

“He’s very levelheaded,” said Fouch’s mom, Rhonda, the athletic director at Redlands East Valley High School. “He’s been like that since he was young. He’s never been one to be overtly excited or a hyper amped-up, bouncing-off-the-walls kind of kid. He’s never been that way, that’s just his personality.”

But Fouch is more than just a cool customer hoping to complete a few passes until Locker gets back. He wants to help the Huskies win, even if the team’s star quarterback is sidelined.

“It’s a tough loss, but we can’t give up now,” Fouch said. “We’ve only played four games. We’ve got a long season ahead of us still, so we’ve got to keep moving forward, and our main focus right now is Arizona. I’ve got to do whatever I can to get the ball in our playmakers’ hands and produce and put points on the board. So I’m just trying to get focused and ready to go against Arizona.”

And here’s a stat that ought to give a tiny glimmer of hope to Husky fans: before Fouch took over at quarterback in high school, East Valley had a 2-47 record over the previous sevens seasons. In three years with Fouch running the offense, the Wildcats went 24-8-2. So he knows a thing or two about helping struggling programs right the ship.

Just how Fouch will perform as a starter remains to be seen, but it’s safe to say the Huskies offense will look a little different without Locker. Fouch isn’t a statue in the pocket, but he doesn’t run like Locker either, meaning more work for the tailbacks and likely more passing as well. Though Lappano understandably didn’t want to go into details about any changes the offense might make this week, it’s a safe bet that Fouch will not lead the Huskies in rushing as Locker did in Washington’s first three games.

While the most recent Locker injury gives Fouch a chance to start, an earlier one should help the young quarterback succeed. When Locker pulled his hamstring in fall camp, Fouch spent the better part of two weeks running the offense as the No. 1 quarterback. Fouch also has more experience than most redshirt freshmen, having graduated early from high school in order to participate in spring camp in 2006.

“That was critical,” Lappano said of Fouch’s extra work while Locker was injured. “That was critical, he got all the reps, and that really helped him, but the other thing that you’ve got to remember is that he got out of school early to come here for that spring. So he got an extra spring in that was really critical for his development too, and he was 17 years old when he did it, which I thought was really amazing. That really helped him. So he has a couple of spring balls under his belt, plus he benefited from Jake’s hamstring injury and got all the snaps. There’s no question that’s really helped him.”

Exactly how much it helps him remains to be seen. But one thing seems certain, Fouch won’t be overwhelmed by the moment. Tough even the even-keeled Fouch admits Saturday’s game might be a little different.

“It’s going to be emotional making my first start in a Pac-10 game,” he said. “It’s going to be real emotional, because my dream is to be able to start in a Pac-10 football game.”

Just don’t expect him to show those emotions.

“It’ll be fun, but all I’m worried about is winning,” Fouch said. “I’ve got to step in and be the leader Jake was on the offense, because he was a big leader for this team. I’ve got to step in and be that guy who can run the show.”

Contact Herald Writer John Boyle at jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more on UW sports, check out the Huskies blog at heraldnet.com /huskiesblog