One-Yard ‘Drive’ Is Key to Fullerton Win

Just how bad Cal State Fullerton’s offense was Saturday against the University of the Pacific was hard to say, but plenty of Titans were searching for ways to express it.

“Ineptitude is the polite word for it,” Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy said.

Ugly was another.

Just how ugly? Consider that Fullerton ended up winning, and did it with a drive that began at Pacific’s 33-yard line and ended at the 32.

You’ve got it: a 1-yard drive. Stan Lambert came on to kick a 49-yard field goal with 9 minutes left to give Fullerton a 13-10 victory in front of 2,924 in Santa Ana Stadium.

Strangely, that 1-yard drive may have been the Titans’ most prudent of the day.

Lambert has good range but somehow is befuddled by field goals of less than 30 yards. He missed 2 at that distance last week.

But thanks to the ineptitude of an offense that didn’t manage a first down until only 9 minutes remained in the first half, Lambert got to attempt a field goal in his favorite range.

“You can say it’s ugly,” Murphy said. “But I’m not going to give it back.”

Fullerton played ugly against Pacific last year, too. The Titans out-gained Pacific by 300 yards, but committed 6 turnovers and 16 penalties and lost, 22-14.

The victory moves Fullerton’s record to 2-2, 2-0 in the Big West.

Pacific (0-4, 0-1) had one good shot at tying the score or taking the lead when it got the ball at Fullerton’s 41-yard line with 4 minutes left. But the Tigers managed to move the ball just 4 yards, and elected to punt on fourth and 6.

A botched snap resulted in a 13-yard loss, and that was it.

“Punting was our best option,” Pacific Coach Bob Cope said. “I didn’t like our chances of getting the first down or kicking a field goal. We considered a fake punt. But I figured our best chance to win was to punt, pin them deep and hold them on defense and hope for a turnover.”

No such luck.

Pacific’s offense was no thing of beauty itself. The Tigers, a wishbone team, finished with 25 yards rushing. The credit goes to Fullerton’s defense, which allowed Pacific only 32 yards of offense in second half.

“We couldn’t handle their defensive line,” Cope said. “They just dominated us. We couldn’t run at all. . . . They brought it to us all day.”

As for the Fullerton offense, it failed to score repeatedly after getting the ball well inside Pacific territory.

“We should have scored 3 or 4 more touchdowns at least,” said Rocky Palamara, who caught 6 passes for 96 yards and the Titans’ only touchdown.

Lambert’s 45-yard field goal provided the other Fullerton points.

Pacific took a 7-0 lead in the first half on a 77-yard pass play, Ron Beverly to Terry Cole, and led 10-7 at halftime on Mark Gran’s 40-yard field goal.

“We’re going to have to get a heck of a lot better,” Murphy said.