COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Fullerton’s Perfect PCAA Record on Line Against Defending Champions

Thinking about Cal State Fullerton’s football game today could be a lesson in the ways of truth.

For instance: The Titans, who lead the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. by two victories, today will play San Jose State, which has yet to win a conference game.

All true, and all documentable, but rather misleading.

True, the Titans have won two PCAA games. They have beaten Cal State Long Beach and Utah State, teams with a combined record of 2-5.

True, the Spartans haven’t won a conference game. But neither have they played one.

Instead, San Jose State, the defending PCAA champion and a favorite to repeat, has spent three of the first four weeks of the season playing Pac-10 opponents, defeating Cal and Stanford and losing to Oregon State.

In the meantime, Fullerton got an early start on the PCAA race.

Now, though, it begins in earnest.

“They’re the cream of the league right now, and we’re not expected to win,” said Gene Murphy, Cal State Fullerton coach. “We know we’re going to have to play better than we did against Utah State and Long Beach.

“With it being so early in the season, the loser of the game isn’t out of it. But for us, it’s critical. The season--our chances of winning the conference--isn’t over if we don’t win, but to win this game puts that team in the driver’s seat.”

Last year, the Titans didn’t have the luxury of contemplating the effect of a win on a possible conference championship. By the time they played San Jose State, the Titans were 2-8 and well out of the running for the PCAA title.

That San Jose State ran roughshod over them, 48-24--even though backup quarterback Tony Locy of Anaheim had to fill in for the injured Mike Perez, who led the nation in total offense in 1986--was just another in a season of lows.

The Titans likely held out hope that Perez, who sustained a strained right shoulder in the Spartan victory over Stanford last week and was listed as probable much of the week, might not play this time, either. It appears, though, that he will.

“Mike is fine, and I think he’ll be ready to start,” said Claude Gilbert, San Jose State coach, after practice Friday.

The Titans have a number of injuries of their own, most of which have caused players to miss practice time this week but will not prevent them from playing.

The most critical position--particularly because they will be facing a passer of Perez’s ability--is right cornerback, where not only is starter Tyrone Pope definitely out with a knee injury, but backup Sean Fernandes, a walk-on, is questionable with an ankle injury. The Titans have such little depth at the position that Keith Bowman, a reserve tailback, is now the backup.

“It’s unrealistic to say we’re going to stop them. We’ve just got to slow them down and contain them,” Murphy said. “It’s always Perez people talk about, and justifiably so. But they’ve got a lot more than him.”

Besides Perez, who has piled up 1,183 yards of total offense in four games, the Spartans rely on wide receiver Guy Liggins, who has 3 touchdown receptions among his 28 catches, and Kenny Jackson, who has averaged 71.2 yards a game rushing.

Still, the Titans don’t seem to consider San Jose invincible, and neither do the Spartans.

“We must be prepared each week,” Gilbert said. “We can’t have one slip-up--beginning with Cal State Fullerton.”

Titan Notes

Among the Titans who are hampered by injuries but will play today are tight end Jim Thornton (hamstring), offensive lineman Ed Gillies (ankle) and defensive lineman Kelly Gogerty (knee). . . . Outside linebacker Ted Hinton, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in the preseason but reinjured the knee against Utah State, will not play. Defensive lineman John Smith returns after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.