Fullerton Needs Win Tonight Against Long Beach to Avert a Losing Season

When your football team is 1-5, you take your positives wherever you can find them. Thus, this statistic from the Cal State Fullerton sports information department: The Titans are 1-0 in the state of California. The Titans’ only home game thus far was also their only victory, a 35-25 win over Idaho State.

Fullerton will put that record--such as it is--on the line tonight at 6 when it renews its rivalry with Cal State Long Beach at Long Beach Veterans Stadium. In order to avert their first losing season in four years, the Titans will have to finish 1986 with six straight victories.

The Titans have had trouble both passing and defending against the pass this season, and they will have to show improvement in both areas tonight. If they don’t, they stand a good chance of falling to 1-1 within California boundaries, and 0-3 in the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. The game will be Long Beach’s PCAA opener.

Long Beach quarterback Jeff Graham has completed 74 of 143 passes for 775 yards and 5 touchdowns in losses to San Diego State and UCLA and a 14-13 victory over Western Michigan.

Fullerton has relied almost exclusively on running back Rick Calhoun, who has rushed for 786 yards in 144 carries.