When Ronnie Fouch announced that he was planning on transferring to Indiana State after the 2009 NCAA football season, it was not just for the great educational opportunities. Rather, Fouch, who was the backup quarterback at the University of Washington for two years, decided it was time to be a starter, and Indiana State offered him the opportunity he was looking for.

During his two seasons at Washington, Fouch was second in line to Jake Locker. Fouch was able to start eight games when Locker was injured in 2008. He threw for 1,339 yards and four touchdowns and had a quarterback rating of 85.1. Although he performed well, Fouch found himself back on the bench when Locker returned from his injury, and he would stay there throughout the entire 2009 season.

When Locker decided to return for his senior year in 2010, Fouch was guaranteed another season on the bench. And with tough competition from freshman Keith Price and high school recruit Nick Montana waiting for him in 2011, Fouch had no guarantees of getting the job after Locker graduated. Left with the decision to stay and risk never starting or transferring to a smaller program, Fouch decided to go to Indiana State.

Fouch entered the 2010 season as a redshirt junior, but was eligible to play immediately. He started all 11 games for the Sycamores in 2010. Fouch threw for 2,252 yards and completed 168 of his 289 attempted passes. He also set a new single season record at Indiana State with 20 touchdown passes.

Fouch's strong passing ability led him to a passer rating of 142.96, the eighteenth best passer rating in the nation. He also averaged 218.36 passing yards per game, which ranked him third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.  Fouch threw only five interceptions throughout the entire 2010 season, an impressive statistic in comparison to many other quarterbacks in the NCAA.
 
But, by far, Fouch's most impressive accomplishment was his passing streak: he passed for over 200 yards in seven straight games, an incredible feat for the first year Sycamore quarterback, a streak that many hope will be repeated this season.

Fouch's offensive statistics got him noticed in more ways than one. He was an honorable mention selection on the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Team. Fouch was also named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer team as one of the prime offensive selections.
Fouch was named the conference's Newcomer of the Week two times and was also named Offensive Player of the Week following a hard fought overtime win against Missouri State. More recently, he was named as an honorable mention selection to the 2011 Missouri Valley Football Preseason Offensive Team. Senior linebacker Brock Lough and senior tight end Alex Jones were also named to the team.

Fouch enters the 2011 season as a senior, facing pressure to maintain the success he helped the Sycamores achieve in 2010. Fouch possesses a great deal of football finesse and has proven that he is more than capable of effectively leading an offense; he has the ability to stay focused while also taking offensive risks that ultimately help his team come out on top.

The Syacamores, who were 6-5 in 2010, will face Penn State for the first time ever this Saturday at Beaver Stadium with Fouch at the helm.


Breanna Jacobs is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, e-mail: byj5032@psu.edu.