much less as his team focused more on their running game. Statistics College career Fouts was somewhat of an unknown when he accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Oregon to play for the Ducks in Eugene. He started for the freshman team during his first year there (1969). In 1970, he began the season on the bench behind veteran quarterback/punter Tom Blanchard. In the opening game, a 31–24 victory over California, Fouts came off the bench and completed 12 of 19 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in the final two minutes. Fouts and Blanchard combined to set a new Pacific-8 Conference record with 424 passing yards. After another relief appearance the following week, Fouts got his first chance to start in Week 3, going up against Stanford and their quarterback Jim Plunkett with Blanchard out injured. Fouts and Plunkett would contest the AFC championship game ten years later. Plunkett's Stanford won this first meeting 33–10, though Fouts set school records with 27 completions, 51 attempts and 271 yards. Two weeks later, Fouts threw the winning 15-yard touchdown with 30 seconds to play, and Oregon beat UCLA 41–40. In Week 5, Fouts tied a school record with four touchdowns in an easy win over Idaho; he repeated the feat against Air Force three weeks later, while setting an Oregon single-game passing yards record (396) that would last until 1989. Fouts finished the season ranked second in the Pacific-8 Conference for completions, completion percentage and passing touchdowns (behind Plunkett each times) and third in passing yards, though his 24 interceptions were tied for most in the conference. He passed for 16 touchdowns while running for 4 more, and his season total of 2,390 passing yards was an Oregon record that stood until 1986. UPI named him an honorable mention in their season-ending all-coast team. Fouts entered his junior year (1971) as an established and highly-rated starter. That season, he had over 100 fewer attempts than the previous season, in part because of the form of running back Ahmad Rashad, who led the Pacific-8 in rushing attempts and yards. Fouts was third in the conference in attempts, completions and passing yards. He posted an improved touchdowns to interceptions ratio of 9–11, with his interceptions total being the lowest among Pacific-8 quarterbacks who played in every game. In 1972, with Rashad having graduated, Fouts again became the