California Bowl : San Jose State Takes On Eastern Michigan Today

Eastern Michigan has the tough task of ending a string of one-sided losses by Mid-American Conference football teams in the California Bowl when the Hurons play San Jose State today (ESPN, 1:30 p.m.).

Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. teams have rolled up 118 points while winning the last three games and have limited their MAC opponents to just 27 points.

That was in sharp contrast to the first two games in 1981 and 1982 at Fresno State’s Bulldog Stadium. Both were decided in the last minute, with the MAC winning the first game and the PCAA the second.

Eastern Michigan (9-2) will have an experience handicap in this year’s game against San Jose State (10-1). The Hurons have never been in any of the six previous California Bowls, while the Spartans will be appearing in their third, the most recent a 37-7 rout of Miami of Ohio last year.

The Spartans are the nation’s top passing team with quarterback Mike Perez throwing for 3,260 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. San Jose’s Guy Liggins led the nation in receiving yardage with 1,208.

Eastern Michigan quarterback Ron Adams had 1,427 yards passing this season, while tailback Gary Patton had 1,112 yards rushing.

“The thing that’s been fun about coaching Gary is, from fall to spring and from spring to fall each year he gets better,” Huron Coach Jim Harkema said. “To already be fairly talented and to get better--that is pretty significant. That is why he’s where he’s at today.”

The Spartans’ top runner, Kenny Jackson, had 818 yards rushing and 309 receiving for a total of 16 touchdowns.

The Hurons hope for a California Bowl win to erase any lingering memories of the early part of this decade, when they won only 2 of 45 games. Harkema had records of 1-10 and 2-7 after taking over in 1983, then steadily improved.