PCAA Preseason Football Poll : Fresno State Favorite to Win Conference

Fresno State, the only NCAA Division I team to go unbeaten (11-0-1) last season, was the overwhelming favorite to win the 1986 Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. championship in preseason polls of the media and conference coaches.

The Bulldogs, led by record-setting quarterback Kevin Sweeney, received all eight first-place votes in the coaches poll and 46 of 47 first-place votes in the poll of the media. Sweeney, son of Fresno State Coach Jim Sweeney, holds the PCAA career passing yardage record and needs 2,320 yards this season to surpass Doug Flutie as the NCAA’s all-time leader in passing yardage. Fresno State has launched an extensive publicity campaign in which Sweeney is being billed as a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Cal State Fullerton was picked to finish second by the media, but fourth behind Fresno, University of the Pacific and Cal State Long Beach by the coaches.

The polls:

COACHES POLL

1. Fresno State 64 (8) 2. Univ. of the Pacific 45 3. Cal State Long Beach 44 4. Cal State Fullerton 42 5. Nevada Las Vegas 37 6. San Jose State 27 7. Utah State 21 8. New Mexico State 8

MEDIA POLL

1. Fresno State 375 (46) 2. Cal State Fullerton 273 3. Univ. of the Pacific 248 (1) 4. Nevada Las Vegas 231 5. Cal State Long Beach 228 6. San Jose State 162 7. Utah State 137 8. New Mexico State 63

Note: First-place votes in parenthesis.