Fanuzzi delivers top performance

The ball was placed perfectly on a figurative tee for Rice senior quarterback Nick Fanuzzi to bash with a swing of deserved boasting. His greatest collegiate moment had recently concluded, and Fanuzzi stood before the assembled media in a team meeting room awash in congratulations and lionized for the Owls' 41-37 victory over UTEP last Saturday. He had set a career standard for passing yards in a game with 405, and also tossed three touchdowns to three different receivers. Fanuzzi had enjoyed moments of brilliance as the Owls' starting signal caller previously, but they were sporadic and didn't approach this torching of the Miners. In his first start of this season he delivered the top performance of his career, yet humility and modesty consumed him. "This game was different than any other game that I've had here in my career," Fanuzzi said after completing 30 of 43 attempts with no turnovers. "We've had some big wins two seasons ago and last year against U of H in the Bayou Bucket, but this win matches up with all of them." And that was it. There was no puffed chest, no prancing about the podium. Fanuzzi had waited nearly a year to erase the memory of his nightmarish three-interception outing at Tulane last Nov. 13, but instead of relishing he seemed more relieved and genuinely elated that he was the steward that kept the Owls' faint bowl-eligibility hopes alive. From the perspective of those familiar with everything Fanuzzi endured prior to last Saturday, his showing was worthy of celebration. He was the heralded transfer from Alabama who never panned out, the quarterback who seemed an ill fit for the Owls' spread offense. He was inconsistent and rarely in command, either undone by injuries or the frailty of those commissioned to aid his cause. Because of his pedigree, Fanuzzi was an easy target of derision for fans expecting so much more. "I had a long talk with Nick after the game and I was just so happy for him because you see him in practice and he throws so well," Owls senior nose guard John Gioffre said. "He's talented; huge recruit out of (San Antonio Churchill) high school. Alabama? He got recruited there for a reason, right? But I think he just had huge shoes to fill and so many expectations when he came here, and then you realize that the quarterback position doesn't get any easier no matter what school you're at. "He had a little trouble adapting to that, and I think that's why you may have seen those on and off times. (Saturday) he was just on fire." Perhaps it was too easy to forget the strain Fanuzzi faced having to succeed Chase Clement, who not only led the Owls to their first postseason bowl win in more than half a century the season prior to Fanuzzi gaining eligibility at Rice, but closed his career atop the school charts in total offense, attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. That many assumed Fanuzzi would simply fill the void left by Clement and keep the program humming along proved to be a disservice. That the coaching staff prolonged the decision to name him the starter over respected fifth-year senior John Thomas Shepherd, an inferior talent, only muddled the transition. Fanuzzi reached his zenith at Oklahoma State during a 41-24 loss on Sept. 19, 2009. He also injured his right shoulder. When he returned three weeks later his team was in shambles. Fanuzzi never quite got the horse back in the barn. The Owls dropped their first nine games of 2009. When the following season rolled around, Fanuzzi was demoted and backed up redshirt freshman Taylor McHargue. He regained his starting job when McHargue missed eight games with a bum shoulder, but Fanuzzi remained erratic. He bottomed out against Tulane, a game that stood in stark contrast to the UTEP win. "When we made the decision a year ago at Tulane it just wasn't going well and we had to get somebody to take care of the football," Rice coach David Bailiff said of benching Fanuzzi and replacing him with Taylor Cook, a Miami, Fla., transfer. "Right now he's taking care of the football. Not only did he take care of the football, he made some plays with his arm that nobody else here could make. What I am is proud of him and pleased for him for the attitude he kept through the hard times." Fanuzzi never sulked. McHargue closed 2010 with a flourish and entered this season as the unquestioned starter. As McHargue surprisingly regressed Fanuzzi earned playing time, first at Southern Miss then for the final three periods against Tulsa. He split time with McHargue against Houston before earning the start against the Miners. The win over UTEP was his first as a starter since leading the Owls past the Cougars on Oct. 16, 2010. Fanuzzi can further burnish his redemptive tale when Rice (3-6) plays at Northwestern (4-5) Saturday. As part of his pregame speech focusing on accountability last Saturday, Bailiff elected to have one player represent each position group, with that player responsible for the performance of his unit. When quarterbacks coach Larry Edmondson designated Fanuzzi the leader for the quarterbacks, his eyes beamed. The decision seemed to validate him. "It was like, They haven't given up on me,'" Gioffre said of Fanuzzi's reaction. "And it really showed. "When that much pressure is on you you've got people telling you to do this and that and be this person you've got to find yourself. It's not too late. This is going to give him the confidence and maybe the coaches confidence that we can take those risks and we can really rely on him." Follow me on Twitter at FSH_Owls