Fullerton Wins Wrong Half; Vandals Escape With a 25-17 Victory

Cal State Fullerton received a most basic lesson in fractions Saturday. The Titans hobbled off the Kibbie Dome turf after a 25-17 loss to Idaho, knowing all too well that it takes two halves to make a whole.

Whatever subtle improvements Fullerton may have shown in a productive first half were forgotten in the second as Idaho outscored the Titans, 16-0, to hand them their third loss in four games.

This was another game the Titans had an opportunity to win and couldn’t. And, with road games at Nevada Las Vegas and Tulsa ahead, opportunities may be harder to come by.

Lee Strandley missed a 36-yard field goal attempt--one he was convinced he made--that would have given Fullerton a 20-18 lead with 2:26 left. That was certainly the most visible of the Titans’ opportunities, but, as Coach Gene Murphy was quick to point out, it was hardly the only one.

“It’s not fair to hang it all on him,” Murphy said of his senior kicker. “There were other plays that could have won or lost us the football game. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Idaho added a touchdown with 1:51 to play when, on a third and one, Vandal quarterback Scott Linehan faked a handoff and raced around right end for a 71-yard scoring run.

Had Fullerton played the second half the way it played the first, it wouldn’t have to rely on Strandley for the lead in the final minutes. The Titans left the field at halftime with a 17-9 lead. They outgained Idaho in total offense, 224-107. Fullerton quarterback Ronnie Barber completed 10 of 16 passes for 132 yards, including touchdown tosses to Mark Hood and John Gibbs.

Barber threw for all of 22 yards in the second half. The Vandals, meanwhile, showing a running game Fullerton didn’t know they had, outgained the Titans, 313-102, including 205 yards on the ground.

Murphy had not anticipated such meat and potatoes from an Idaho team that attempted 49 passes in a 34-21 loss to Central Michigan last week. He spent most of this week preparing his team to see Linehan throw pass after pass.

Said Idaho Coach Keith Gilbertson, a former Los Angeles Express assistant: “Last week, we got behind against Central Michigan and we had to throw the ball. Everybody said, ‘Gee, I guess they don’t have a running game.’

“But we were never in a position to try to establish the running game in that game. This week, we were.”

It was a 39-yard touchdown pass from Linehan to Brant Bengen at the 7:01 mark of the third quarter that put the Vandals (2-1) in a position to win. The play cut Fullerton’s lead to 17-15, and said Gilbertson: “It got us going again.”

Idaho began the fourth quarter on its 12 yard-line, but drove to the Fullerton five to set up the go-ahead field goal. Sophomore kicker Brian Decicio entered the game 0 for 3 on field goal attempts and missed a 30-yarder late in the third quarter, leaving Gilbertson concerned. “I would say frightened is the better word,” he said.

But Decicio connected from 22 yards out to give the Vandals an 18-17 lead with 7:57 to play.

Fullerton tried to consume time and get into field goal range on its ensuing possession. With running back Rick Calhoun, who gained 129 yards in 27 carries, doing most of the work, the Titans moved from their 34 to the Idaho 23, where Murphy elected to give the ball to Calhoun straight ahead on a third-and-nine play. “We have more confidence in our running game,” Murphy said. “And if there’s any place conducive to long field goals, it’s inside a dome.”

Strandley began celebrating shortly after his foot met the ball, but stopped when officials signaled that the kick was wide to the left.

And the Titans were left to ponder one half of accomplishment and one half of failure that added up to one whole defeat.