Another by-product of the bye week was a lot of work for backup QBs Ronnie Fouch and Keith Price, who took the snaps with the first unit with Jake Locker resting a thigh bruise.

Fouch gets work with the first unit during regular weeks, but the three days of the bye got him a little more than usual.

"Any time I get an opportunity like that to get a lot of reps it's fun for me to get my rhythm going again instead of just sparse reps here and there,'' Fouch said. "I was able to get in a flow and a rhythm, so it was nice.''

And developing the backups is obviously critical with Locker's future beyond this season uncertain --- ESPN's Bruce Feldman "Tweeted'' today that an NFL assistant coach told him Locker was the most impressive college QB this season.

Fouch, a redshirt sophomore, knows the conjecture that is out there and says he'd be ready to take over next year if need be.

"I'm confident in myself with whatever Jake decides or whatever happens,'' he said. "I'm always going to be confident in myself and what this offense can do. I'm just trying to get better each day and contribute however I can.''

As the current backup, Fouch at the moment would be first in line if Locker were to leave. Lots can change down the road, however. And many would look at Fouch's 2008 numbers --- 13 interceptions against four touchdowns when he had to start eight games after Locker was injured --- and figure either a young Price or an even younger Nick Montana might be a better option.

But Fouch says his ability shouldn't be based just on last season, when he was thrown into a tough spot with a team that knew its coach was on the way out and with a beat-up offense that offered little support around him. Also, he feels he's a better fit in the Steve Sarkisian offense than the one the Huskies ran in 2008.

"It would be nice to go out there with a chance to show how this system really works,'' he said. "It's a great system. ... It's more of a drop-back style system and I'm more comfortable with it.''

He said it's similar to the one he ran at Redlands East Valley High in Redlands, Calif.

"This system involves a lot of concepts and a lot of different route combinations and I did a lot of that in my high school career as I got older,'' he said. It's the same kind of stuff. I'm comfortable with it.''

He's also feeling better about his passing motion.

Like the new coaches have with Locker and Price, they have tweaked Fouch's motion a bit, trying to shorten it.

"I had a longer motion like some of the other QBs you see and they want me to have a quick motion and get the ball out fast,'' he said. "I feel like it's helping a lot.''