Fullerton Is a Decided Underdog Against Tulsa in Televised Game

Cal State Fullerton will try to break a two-game losing streak when it meets heavily favored Tulsa tonight in a nationally televised game at Tulsa, Okla. The game will be shown on ESPN, starting at 5 o’clock.

The Titans (1-4) are coming off a 40-23 loss at Nevada Las Vegas, while the Golden Hurricane (3-2) is coming off of a 24-14 win over Houston in the Astrodome.

Junior Rich Sheriff, who has attempted only three passes in 1986, will be making his first start for Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy.

Sheriff, who completed 2 of 3 passes for 14 yards in a mop-up appearance against Nevada Reno, was named to replace Ronnie Barber as Fullerton’s starting quarterback. Sheriff becomes the third quarterback Murphy has used as a starter this season.

The move was made to try to provide another dimension to an offense that has been decidedly one-dimensional.

Running back Rick Calhoun has rushed for 530 yards in Fullerton’s last three games. Against UNLV, he ran for 197 yards in 36 carries, equaling a school record for most carries in a game set by Terry McLean in 1970.

But outside of Calhoun, the Titan offense could generate only 80 yards. Tulsa has no such problem. Senior quarterback Steve Gage has thrown five touchdown passes and rushed for five more. Running back Derrick Ellison, son of former Ram running back Willie Ellison, has rushed for 100 yards or more in four of the Golden Hurricane’s five games.

Besides last week’s win over Houston, Tulsa has beaten Oklahoma State, 27-23, and Tennessee Tech, 51-0.