Long Beach Faces Fresno Tonight in PCAA Showdown

Cal State Long Beach will play its most important football game in several years when it meets undefeated Fresno State at 6 tonight at Veterans Stadium.

Fresno State, 8-0-1 overall and 6-0 in the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn., can win the conference title with a victory. But if the 49ers (6-4 and 4-1) win and then defeat Cal State Fullerton Nov. 23, they will share the title and go to the California Bowl.

The league’s seven other coaches said they believe that Fresno, which is averaging 38.9 points a game, should win but did not rule out a Long Beach upset.

“Fresno has a little bit more talented and more balanced team,” Pacific Coach Bob Cope said.

Gene Murphy of Fullerton said that Fresno, which beat the Titans, 42-7, is “the best team I’ve seen since I’ve been here (six seasons).”

But Harvey Hyde of Nevada Las Vegas said: “Long Beach is an outstanding team at this stage of the season, and Doug Gaynor is a great quarterback.”

Chris Pella of Utah State said: “If Gaynor is hot, he can beat anybody.”

Gaynor, the 49ers’ senior quarterback, has completed 72.4% of his passes and needs 32 completions to break the NCAA single-season record of 306, set by Brigham Young’s Steve Young in 1983. Gaynor has thrown for 2,908 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Fresno also has an outstanding quarterback in junior Kevin Sweeney, son of Bulldog Coach Jim Sweeney. He has passed for 2,084 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Bulldogs have a more balanced attack, averaging 236 yards passing and 220 rushing. The 49ers average 292 passing but only 91 rushing.

Fresno also appears to have an edge on defense, allowing opponents an average of 16.5 points a game, seven fewer than the 49ers give up.

“Our team is progressing, and I don’t think we’ve peaked yet,” Long Beach Coach Mike Sheppard said. “But I do feel like just a little bit of an underdog.