Jake Locker is out for 6-8 weeks

SEATTLE – One awkward fall by Washington quarterback Jake Locker added another notch of anguish to Washington’s already miserable 2008 football season.

Now the Huskies’ chances of avoiding their first 0-5 start in 39 years lie with a redshirt freshman who has never started a college game, Ronnie Fouch, who filled in when Locker went down Saturday.

Locker will be out for up to eight weeks after breaking his right thumb in Saturday’s 35-28 loss to Stanford. He was injured throwing a block on a 27-yard reverse run by wide receiver Jordan Polk. Replays appear to show Locker hitting his hand on the ground.

Locker had surgery Monday morning to repair the fracture.

“We’re very confident in Ronnie Fouch,” who will assume the starting quarterback duties, coach Tyrone Willingham said.

Willingham initially said Locker would be sidelined six to eight weeks, meaning he could be back taking snaps before the end of the season.

Six weeks would have Locker available for the Huskies’ Nov. 15 game against UCLA. Eight would get him back for the finale Dec. 6 at California.

However, there is a scenario that could see him on the field much sooner. Locker was an all-state defensive back in high school and is UW’s leading rusher with 180 yards and three touchdowns.

Willingham didn’t dismiss the possibility of Locker returning at a new position until he’s healthy enough to resume playing quarterback. But he didn’t say when Locker might be ready to play at a different spot, or if he would even make the move.

“It is possible. I couldn’t tell you where right now,” Willingham said. “But I’ve said and I think others have said he is a tremendous athlete, and the ability to play five, six, seven different positions exists. … What the other timetables are I don’t know and I wouldn’t even guess at those.”