COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Titans Hoping Home Is Where the First Win Is

Cal State Fullerton takes a break from its routine tonight. The Titans are playing--drum roll, please--a home game.

There are no planes to catch, no check-out times to worry about. One of college football’s most frequent fliers hopes to get its act together at home tonight at 6 when Fullerton meets Idaho State in a nonconference game in Santa Ana Stadium. Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy is hoping that the change of scenery--and change of uniform--will help snap his team out of its early season visitor’s blues.

“It’ll be neat to get an orange jersey this week,” Murphy said. “We only get them three times this year.”

Things get back to normal next week when the Titans play at Idaho in the first of four straight road games. But first, Murphy will see if a new starting quarterback and a few personnel changes on defense have any effect on a team in danger of starting 1986 the way it started 1985--with an 0-3 record.

Fullerton’s season-opening 49-3 loss at Nevada Reno was followed by a 24-21 defeat at New Mexico State last Saturday. That loss may have been more humbling, despite the scores. New Mexico State had lost eight straight games and all 13 of its Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. games since joining the conference in 1984.

Fullerton players say the losses have brought them closer together. Using such logic, a loss tonight would make the Titans downright inseparable. But Murphy would undoubtedly prefer his players find some other way to create team unity.

A more consistent offense would be a good place to start. Junior Ronnie Barber will replace sophomore Tony Dill as the starting quarterback. Dill had earned the right to start this season after helping the Titans finish the last one with four straight victories. But in his first two games of ‘86, Dill completed only 7 of 24 passes for 124 yards. He threw two interceptions and no touchdown passes. The Titan offense went more than six quarters before scoring a touchdown.

Thus the switch to Barber, who rejected a scholarship offer from Fullerton three years ago to attend UCLA as a walk-on. Barber became a Titan after dropping out of UCLA, then rebuilding his athletic and academic fortunes at El Camino College. He was the Pac-9 Conference player of the year last season at El Camino. As a backup to Dill, he has completed 7 of 17 passes for 96 yards. Murphy hopes Barber’s experience and speed will help the Titans find an offense that has been mostly missing so far.

The Titan defense has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 77% of their passes and has given up seven touchdown passes. The secondary has been beaten and abused. But as Murphy said after the loss to New Mexico State, the Titans will have to make do with the players they have. “They’re the guys,” Murphy said. “We’re gonna have to play with them, and they’re just gonna have to play better.”

It isn’t expected to get much easier tonight against a team that likes to call itself the “Throwin’ Idahoans.”

Idaho State quarterback Gino Mariani completed 17 of 34 passes for 334 yards and a touchdown last week in a 43-17 victory over Chico State. The catchin’ Idahoans include junior wide receiver Shawn Beals, flanker Todd Jones and tailback Butch Caston, who combined for 11 receptions against Chico State. When the Bengals run, they usually give the ball to all-purpose running back Merril Hoge, who rushed for 96 yards and 3 touchdowns in 14 carries last week.

“He has excellent size, good quickness, he’s a good pass receiver and a good blocker,” Idaho State Coach Jim Koetter said. “We try to get him the ball in a number of different ways.”

Titan Notes

Coach Gene Murphy has made a couple of personnel changes in his starting defense. Senior Reggie Hill will start over sophomore James Howard at one cornerback. Junior Kelly Gogerty, who converted from offensive tackle last season, will replace junior Jeff Taylor at defensive end and sophomore George Pritchard will start over junior Ted Hinton at outside linebacker. . . . Jim Wolf, a transfer from El Camino College who played soccer and football at West Torrance High School, will replace Lee Strandley as the kicker on kickoffs. Strandley will continue to kick extra points and field goals. . . . Bright Side Dept.--Discounting pride, the Titans suffered no injuries in the loss to New Mexico State and report a clean bill of health entering tonight’s game. . . . The Titans rushed for more yards in the first quarter against New Mexico State (84) than they did in the entire game against Nevada Reno (62). . . . Idaho State punter Matt Maloney averaged 46.9 yards per kick against Chico State, including one of 73 yards. . . . The Bengals’ offensive line averages 264 pounds per player, thanks largely to tackles Bill Lasley (6-3, 305) and Thomas Thomas (6-5, 300). . . . Bengal linebacker Kevin Rasco, a transfer from Cerritos College, underwent successful surgery to repair a ruptured artery in his lower leg but will be out for the season. The injury created a temporary loss of circulation in Rasco’s leg. . . . Idaho State hasn’t won a game in California since 1968. Good news for Fullerton? Not necessarily. The Bengals have only had four tries since then, losing three times to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and once to Fresno State.

CAL STATE FULLERTON TITANS

Tonight’s Game

Opponent: Idaho State.

Site: Santa Ana Stadium.

Time: 6 p.m.

Records: Cal State Fullerton 0-2; Idaho State 1-0

Radio: KWOW (1600), KWRM (1370).

TV: Channel 46 (tape delayed at 8:30 p.m.).