Big West Roundup : CS Fullerton Rallies to Avoid Historical Repeat, 24-3

New Mexico State had a chance, but it couldn’t make history repeat.

The Aggies were within 4 points entering the 4th quarter, but Cal State Fullerton pulled away for a 24-3 Big West Conference victory Saturday night at Las Cruces, N.M.

Two years ago on the same field, New Mexico State beat Fullerton for its only conference victory since joining what was then called the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. in 1984. The Aggies (1-6) have lost 18 straight conference games.

Fullerton (3-5 overall, 3-2 in the Big West) broke a 3-game losing streak, and avoided a loss that would have been even more disastrous than last week’s defeat to Cal State Long Beach, which had lost 9 consecutive games.

The Titans broke away in the 4th quarter, when quarterback Dan Speltz scored from the 1 to give Fullerton a 14-3 lead.

The Titans led, 17-3, after Stan Lambert made a 39-yard field goal, his first of the night after missing a 45-yarder, a bad-snap 21-yarder and a 25-yarder.

Speltz, who completed 11 of 19 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, provided the final touchdown when he hit Rocky Palamara with a 15-yard touchdown pass.