Dill Adds Little Bit of Spice in Fullerton’s 21-17 Win

Cal State Fullerton’s quarterback of the future became the quarterback of the present Saturday at Santa Ana Stadium, but freshman Tony Dill got the job as much by default as by performance.

Dill started and threw for one touchdown as the Titans staggered to a 21-17 Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. win over New Mexico State, but he didn’t remind anyone of Robbie Bosco in the process. He completed just 3 of 10 passes and threw an interception that gave the Aggies a chance to win in the final minutes.

Dill and senior Kevin Jan, who was an equally unimpressive 2 for 9 passing, alternated for much of the game before the already-battered Jan suffered a separated shoulder in the third quarter. Jan came into the game nursing knee, rib and tail bone injuries.

It didn’t take a copy of the standings to figure out that these two teams had a combined 3-12 record coming in. The 3,829 in attendance saw a sloppily played game that was evidence enough of these teams’ failings.

Fullerton, 3-2 in conference and 3-5 overall, fumbled seven times and lost three. Dill and Jan combined for minus 44 yards rushing, and the Titans managed just 189 yards of total offense.

New Mexico State (0-6, 1-8) has yet to beat a PCAA team during its two seasons in the conference. And the Aggies had plenty of problems with their run-and-shoot offense this time out. They had 288 total yards offense, but sophomore quarterback Jim Miller was intercepted three times, twice deep in New Mexico State territory. And the Aggies gave up 192 yards in kickoff return yardage, including Ricky Calhoun’s 98-yard touchdown return.

Almost a quarter of the Aggies’ plays resulted in minus yardage as the Titans recorded 12 sacks.

New Mexico State managed to take a 17-14 lead with just 17 seconds left in the third quarter, however, when Andy Weiler kicked a 51-yard field goal.

Dill’s lone touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter when he gave the Titans the win by hooking up with James Pruitt on a 67-yard scoring play. Pruitt had one step on Lloyd Bradley, and Dill fired a perfectly thrown 40-yard pass that Pruitt caught while in full stride.