CS Fullerton Will Entertain UNLV Today

Cal State Fullerton’s scheduling of Nevada Las Vegas for a homecoming game is like having a pit bull fight as the entertainment at Betty White’s surprise birthday party.

Clearly, these are two teams that intensely dislike each other and aren’t afraid to let their feelings be known.

Last year, they met in the most important Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. game of the season, and the Rebels hung on to win a tense 26-20 battle at Las Vegas. With the season on the line, the extracurricular activities were reduced to small flare-ups.

In 1983, however, the mutual distaste erupted into a full-fledged brawl involving almost everyone in uniform, not to mention a few assistant coaches and trainers.

Today at 1 p.m., the Titans and Rebels will take another shot at one another in Santa Ana Stadium. It is again a very important game for Fullerton. The Titans staggered to an 0-3 nonconference start but have rebounded with a 2-0 record in PCAA games, and again the Rebels are an obstacle in the way of their postseason aspirations.

Last season’s loss to UNLV was the only defeat en route to Fullerton’s best season. The Titans’ 11-1 record was eventually changed to 12-0 when a PCAA compliance committee forced Las Vegas to forfeit all its victories in 1983 and ’84 after it was decided that the Rebels had used seven ineligible players.

UNLV, despite an unimpressive 3-3 record, is a big, fast, talented team. More important, the Rebels have depth, a rare and valuable commodity in PCAA football.

Fullerton, because of injuries, will start an offensive tackle, Kelly Gogerty, at defensive tackle and has moved other offensive players into defensive backup roles.