COLLEGE FOOTBALL ’87 : PCAA Preview : San Jose State Hopes Perez Can Repeat the Past With the Pass

At San Jose State, Mike Perez is called “Sweet P,” which is not to be confused with Sweet Pea.

This is, after all, a quarterback who has been called for such an obscure penalty as roughing the rusher and who, at 6 feet 2 inches and 210 pounds, is more in the mold of a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. linebacker than a passer.

Not long ago, he was a non-recruited player from an inner-city school, Denver South High. In 1984, he was no more than a backup quarterback at a community college. He threw 58 passes that year at Taft College.

But last season, he rose from obscurity--or someplace less famous than that--and led San Jose State to a 10-2 record, the PCAA title and a California Bowl victory over Miami of Ohio. And, not incidentally, he led the nation in total yardage.

Just that quickly, he has become the PCAA’s latest passer extraordinaire. For four years, it has been Kevin Sweeney of Fresno State, who concluded his career by replacing Doug Flutie as the National Collegiate Athletic Assn.’s all-time leader in passing yardage.

Sweeney passed for 2,363 yards last season, Perez for 2,934, despite missing two games with a separated right shoulder. With two years left, Perez will not threaten Sweeney’s record--that will be left to Todd Santos of San Diego State. But it appears that he will once again dominate the PCAA.

Jeff Graham of Cal State Long Beach, who threw for 2,924 yards, also returns this year. But Perez likely will overshadow him, in part because it took Graham 17 more completions and 42 more attempts to gain that yardage, and because first-year Coach Larry Reisbig has promised to balance the offense at Long Beach.

Most of Perez’s fame stems from two incidents. The first--the roughing-the-rusher incident--occurred at Pullman, Wash., last September in a game against Washington State.

“It was after I threw the ball,” Perez said. “The guy hit me around the neck--and I thought he hit me late. So I turned around and gave him a big fat lip.”

Simple as that.

The second occurred in what has become a much ballyhooed game, San Jose State’s 45-41 victory over Fresno State last October. Perez threw for 433 yards, completing 33 of 53 attempts, and--remarkably--throwing 2 touchdown passes in the final 42 seconds of a comeback victory.

Simple as that.

With Perez, San Jose State is again the favorite. Fresno State, Nevada Las Vegas and Cal State Fullerton have been picked by coaches and reporters to finish in the top four. A closer look at the conference:

CAL STATE FULLERTON 1986--3-9 overall, 2-5 PCAA (6th)

Coach Gene Murphy jokes that he considers the first games--at Hawaii, at Louisiana State and at Florida--exhibitions, as the Titans try to rebound from their first losing season since 1982.

Rick Calhoun, the Titans’ all-time leading rusher, is gone, and with him 4,493 of all-purpose yardage over four years. There are able, if inexperienced, halfbacks to fill in--Eric Franklin, who gained 44 yards in 10 carries in ‘86; Tracey Pierce, 77 in 25 carries, and impressive newcomer Michael Moore, a community college transfer who rushed for 1,425 yards and 11 touchdowns last year and already has earned kickoff and punt-return duties.

At fullback, Tim Byrnes and William Robinson are more experienced, and will take over for departed starter Mark Hood. Receivers Todd White, who had 41 receptions for 636 yards, and John Gibbs, 28 for 542, are back. Offensive guard Ed Gillies, 6-5 and 260, is the top returning player.

But the offense, which has three capable quarterbacks in starter Ronnie Barber, Tony Dill and Carlos Siragusa, is not the worry. The Titans allowed 25 or more points nine times in 1986, and Murphy speaks plainly about a defensive unit that has only five returning starters, only three of whom figure to continue to start.

CAL STATE LONG BEACH 1986--6-5 overall, 4-3 in PCAA (3rd)

The season that almost wasn’t is almost upon the 49ers, and first-year Coach Larry Reisbig, a three-year assistant at Long Beach before taking over late in 1986, says they feel positive now.

“Make no mistake about it, things turned around after December,” he said.

University administrators had threatened to discontinue the football program if $300,000 could not be raised by Jan. 1. That goal was exceeded, and the 49ers live to face another season--this one including a game at Michigan Sept. 26.

Reisbig promises a diversified offense this year. Graham attempted 426 passes last year and no player carried the ball 100 times.

Part of the reason the 49ers will move toward ball control is the departure of fullback Mark Templeton, the NCAA all-time reception leader, wide receiver Charles Lockett and tight end Greg Locy. Tyrone McCullouch, son of former USC star Earl McCullouch, and Derek Washington, who caught 14 passes between them, are likely replacements.

Tailbacks Michael Roberts and Brian Browning and fullback Ricco Wilson return and will get more carries under the changed offensive plan. Still, Graham threw for 2,291 yards and 20 touchdowns last year, so the pass will hardly be abandoned.

FRESNO STATE 1986--9-2 overall, 6-1 PCAA (2nd)

There is no question what the biggest question is for the Bulldogs after the departure of Kevin Sweeney. But it’s a question that was still unanswered a week before the season opener.

“That hasn’t clarified itself,” Coach Jim Sweeney said in discussing a successor.

His son threw for 10,623 yards in four years, 2,363 last year. Eric Buechele, who had been regarded as the likely candidate, completed 5 of 11 attempts for 70 yards last year, but Dave Telford has pressed him. Although he has never played in a regular-season game for the Bulldogs, he completed 16 of 26 for 171 yards with a 77-yard touchdown pass in the spring game and outplayed Buechele slightly in a preseason scrimmage.

But there is more gone from last season’s club than Sweeney. Only five starters return, and that’s counting kicker Barry Belli. Still, conference coaches voted the Bulldogs a likely second-place finisher.

Tackle Mike Withycombe, 6-6 and 297, is the only returning starter on offense, and will anchor a line that Coach Sweeney said will be the best in his 10 years at the school. Three starters return on defense, led by end Jethro Franklin, who had 19.5 sacks last year. Belli, who punts and kicks from placement, is 54 for 74 in field goals, has made 3 from 50 yards or beyond, and is 92 for 96 in extra points.

NEVADA LAS VEGAS 1986--6-5 overall, 3-4 PCAA (4th)

Second-year Coach Wayne Nunnely has installed a new offense, designed “to get the ball to our athletes,” by which he means, first and foremost, George Thomas.

Thomas, a wide receiver, averaged almost 24 yards a catch last year, scoring eight touchdowns. The new short-drop, quick-release offense has been installed in hopes of getting the ball to him more quickly, allowing him to “just plain outrun people,” Nunnely said. Thomas caught 34 passes for 808 yards last year.

Quarterback Richard Williams, a Fullerton College transfer, earned the right to do the throwing in spring drills. Tight end Cedric Davis will be another of his targets in what UNLV is touting as a “We will excite you” offense.

Ickey Woods, who rushed for 240 yards last year, is the top returning running back, and community college transfer Bernard Jackson is expected to earn some starts.

NEW MEXICO STATE 1986--1-10 overall, 1-6 PCAA (8th)

When Coach Mike Knoll was bypassed on the dais at the PCAA media day, he responded by saying, “That’s just like the respect we get in the conference.”

That might have been optimistic. The Aggies have won only one PCAA game, ever, defeating Fullerton last year, and have won only 2 of their last 22 games. Their football history is so unimpressive--one winning season in the last 18--that previous results aren’t even included in the six-sheet, hand-stapled media guide.

In hopes of improving a defense that allowed 38 points a game, the Aggies have shifted several players from the offense. Jim Miller--a three-year starter at quarterback who two years ago was third in the conference in total offense--has switched to free safety for his senior year. Senior offensive tackle Jon Roberts has moved to the defensive line. Senior Matt Wright, a former fullback, has moved to linebacker.

Cal Henry, a three-year starter at cornerback, returns after suffering a season-ending injury in warm-ups before the ’86 opener. Phil Vinson, a sophomore who started the last two games of ‘86, takes over at quarterback, and Knoll hopes that freshman kicker Ruben Rubio will help with the scoring.

SAN JOSE STATE 1986--10-2 overall, 7-0 PCAA (1st)

Besides Perez, last year’s NCAA leader in individual offense, top rusher Kenny Jackson and leading receiver Guy Liggins return, and the Spartans have depth at both running back and receiver.

“Any other year, (Jackson and Liggins) would be getting a lot of notice,” said Coach Claude Gilbert. But this year, Perez is around.

Jackson last year became the fifth player in NCAA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards and catch at least 50 passes. And Liggins, a slot receiver, had at least four receptions in every game on his way to 1,116 yards on 80 catches. Against Fresno State, he had 15 receptions for 203 yards.

Kicker Sergio Olivarez set one school record with 93 points and tied another with 16 field goals. The three top tacklers, Greg Cox, Ryan Rasnick and Barry Kidney, return on defense. Both lines, though, need to be rebuilt. Only tackle Mike Barnard, who played every down last year, returns in the offensive line. And four of the top five defensive linemen are gone.

No matter, conference coaches still chose the Spartans to repeat. UNIVERSITY OF PACIFIC 1986--4-7 overall, 2-5 PCAA (6th)

The Tiger wishbone offense led the conference in rushing and finished second to San Jose State in total offense last year, indicating to Coach Bob Cope that you win with defense and the kicking game. After losing three games on field goals on the last play of the game and two others on touchdowns with less than two minutes to play last year, Cope calls defense the key.

“We’ve got to stop somebody with two minutes left in the game,” he said. He’s concerned by what he calls the unit’s “competitiveness,” and by a lack of size in a defensive line. On offense, the Tigers have to replace both quarterback Hue Jackson, the only player who has run the wishbone at Pacific, and their top three rushers. Quarterbacks Rodney Powell, a sophomore, and redshirt freshman Ron Beverly remained even going into the final week of preseason drills.

Three new starters must be found for the backfield. Anthony Simien, who gained 20.7 yards a game last season; Keith Parker, 18.6, and Chris Mendenhall, 18.3, lead the returners. Redshirt junior Rand Chatman may challenge.

The team lost 31 seniors last spring and there are more than 50 players on the roster who are either underclassmen or community college transfers. But Cope, who must play a schedule that includes Arizona State, Washington and Cal, will take it.

UTAH STATE 1986--3-8 overall, 3-4 PCAA (4th)

Second-year Coach Chuck Shelton is frequently introduced as “the always candid Chuck Shelton.” This year, once again, he is a master at poking fun at his own team.

Asked if the Aggies would run the option, he said that would “depend on our ability to get the ball from the center to the quarterback.”

Seems there was a little misunderstanding on the squad last year. “We thought that was the option play,” he said. “We’re not real sure we want to try to do more than one thing at a time.”

With their first two games at Nebraska and Kentucky, the Aggies will have little time to develop.

Three California community college transfers are battling for the quarterback job, Russ Widerburg, Brent Snyder and Eric Chaudron. Shelton also hopes for point production from kicker Dene Garner, who set a school record with a 59-yard field goal last year, but was only 7 for 16.