UW at Arizona: Huskies looking for moral victories

If they’re not already there, the Huskies are headed for moral victory territory. This is the place where winning isn’t everything. Or anything, really. You do what you can on the field and look for those shiny nuggets of hope.

The worst case scenarios have unfolded. An 0-4 start. Last week’s crimpling loss to Stanford. A coach who has a lame duck sign stuck to his back. And most painful, an injury to quarterback Jake Locker that will keep him off the field for at least six weeks.

So, Husky fans are looking for something positive to grab onto as the Dawgs face Arizona tomorrow. The 3-1 Wildcats are feeling good about themselves and they’ve had a lightweight opening schedule that has contributed to their pride. The UW athletic department should take notes because these are the types of teams they should be scheduling instead of Oklahoma, BYU and Notre Dame.

Arizona started the season with a 70-0 shellacking of Idaho followed by a 41-16 drubbing of Toledo. If the Huskies had faced programs like these, maybe the young pups figure out how to win instead of being embarrassed at home in front of their classmates and alumni.

Thanks to the tune-up games, the Wildcats have posted a No. 1 national ranking in pass defense, allowing 103.2 yards per game. A lighter schedule has helped boost that ranking through four games, but UW quarterback Ronnie Fouch will still have to contend with cornerbacks Marquis Hundley and Devin Ross who have stepped up considerably in their first years as starters.

But don’t think for a minute that Fouch isn’t up for the challenge. While he’s seen little field time, he’s getting respect around the league. This is what Matt Anderson wrote about Fouch on GOAZCATS.com:

“Fouch is a very good quarterback and will surprise people on Saturday. He was an early enrollee last spring and he picked up the complexities of a college offense the moment he stepped onto campus. Since redshirting last season he has added 20 pounds of muscle and now looks and acts the part of a Pac-10 quarterback. He has a strong arm and is capable of making every throw on the field and he’s much faster then people would imagine.”

Fouch looked the part of a Pac-10 quarterback when he stepped in for an injured Locker last week. The redshirt freshman completed 13 of 27 passed for 186 yards and a touchdown.

Offensive defense
It’s almost a given that Arizona is going to attack Washington on the ground. The Huskies opponents are averaging 5.8 yards per carry and 228 yards on the ground. They’ve allowed five 100-yard rushers in four games. FIVE. The Dawgs are getting crushed at the line of scrimmage and until they can solve that problem, opponents will take advantage.

Arizona running back Nic Grigsby will lead the attack. He had two 100-yard rushing games to start the season, but couldn’t duplicate his performance in subsequent games against New Mexico and UCLA. Wildcat quarterback Willie Tuitama will be in the mix as well. The senior tore into the Huskies last year with a 38-51, 510-yard and 5-touchdown game.