Big West Preview : Johnson, San Jose State Bulk Up for Challenge of Fresno State

When Johnny Johnson came back to him, Claude Gilbert did not particularly like what he saw. Before him was a body too lean, too sinewy. A body meant for leaping and not for running over, a body for passing and shooting a ball and not for holding onto one, a body built--perish the thought--for basketball, and not football.

As a 211-pound tailback last season, Johnson had more all-purpose yards than any player in the country save one: Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders, the Heisman Trophy winner.

He ranked among the top 20 players in the country in rushing, with 1,219 yards, and in receiving, with 61 catches.

Then in January, at a time when he could have been lifting weights and readying for spring football, Johnson became a basketball player after most of the San Jose State basketball team walked off, refusing to play another game for Coach Bill Berry. A call went out on campus for able athletes, and Johnson, one of the ablest of them all, answered. He played in 12 games for the Spartans, all losses, but he averaged 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

When spring football arrived, Johnson barely weighed 200 pounds.

“I got really skinny,” Johnson said. “I weighed less than any time since high school.”

His knees were sore, and he was tired. So he sat out of spring practice.

“He needed some time off,” Gilbert said. “He was needed badly at a time when the basketball team had some needs.”

When Johnson reported for preseason camp, he was officially third on the depth chart at fullback. But he wasn’t skinny anymore. He is carrying 222 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame, 11 pounds more than last season, that much more bulk to try to tackle. And of course, he wasn’t third-string for long.

The Spartans, who struggled to a 4-8 record last season after going 10-2 in each of the previous two, moved Johnson to fullback this season in a loaded backfield that will include Sheldon Canley, a transfer from Hancock College who redshirted with ankle injuries last season, and slotback Kevin Evans, who caught 61 passes last season and was first-team all conference. At quarterback, Matt Veatch, a 6-4, 215-pound a transfer from Butler County (Kan.) Community College, is the probable starter. Ralph Martini, a transfer from Brigham Young, is expected to back him up.

With a 4-3 record last season, the Spartans still finished tied for third in the Big West Conference--which tells you something about the conference--and this year should be among the rivals to Fresno State. They may find it more difficult to succeed against a nonconference schedule of Arizona State, Stanford, Cal and Miami (Fla.).

A look at the rest of the conference:

CAL STATE FULLERTON

1988 records: 5-6 overall, 5-2 conference

1988 conference finish: Second

In search of an offense last season, Fullerton is in search of a defense this season. Most of the defense that set a school record by giving up an average of fewer than 14 points in conference games is gone--three defensive players were taken in the National Football League draft--and only three starters are back: safety Mike Schaffel and outside linebackers Harold Jones and Chris Wright.

But the offense that struggled so last year began to come together toward the end of the season, and the heart of that unit is back, including running back Mike Pringle, who missed several games but averaged 4.7 yards a carry. Quarterback Dan Speltz, who passed for 1,924 yards, is also back, as is leading receiver Rocky Palamara. The offensive line, however, will need some shoring up.

Fullerton benefits this year from a considerable break in the difficulty of its nonconference schedule. After playing LSU, Florida, West Virginia and Wyoming over the past two seasons, Fullerton plays four teams that combined for a 17-27 record last year--Northern Illinois (7-4), Cal State Northridge (6-5), Colorado State (1-10) and San Diego State (3-8). But Auburn waits in 1990, and Georgia in ’91.

FRESNO STATE

1988 records: 10-2 overall, 7-0 conference

1988 conference finish: First

As long as Fresno State wins the conference title, there are no travel expenses to the California Raisin Bowl, which works out nicely for the Big West.

Jim Sweeney, who turns 60 the day before the first game of the season, has coached the Bulldogs to Cal Bowl victories three times in the past seven years, and his team is the pick of the conference again this year, even though 11 starters are gone.

The biggest losses are from a defense that gave up fewer than 13 points a game, and in particular at outside linebacker, where Fresno State must replace Tracy Rogers, voted the conference’s best defensive player last season. Inside linebacker Ron Cox, a first-team all-conference player last year, inherits the role of top defender, but has missed some practice time with lower back trouble. Sweeney likes his secondary, particularly cornerbacks James Williams and Darrel Martin and safety Naim Shah, a player he said could be Fresno’s best since the Rams’ Michael Stewart was there.

On offense, Mark Barsotti is back, one of only two freshman quarterbacks to lead his team to a bowl game last season. Tailback Aaron Craver of El Camino College, who is 6-0, 215, and has run 4.29 seconds in the 40, will run behind what Sweeney calls “the biggest offensive line in the history of Fresno State.”

CAL STATE LONG BEACH

1988 records: 3-9 overall, 3-4 conference

1988 conference finish: Fifth (tie)

Long Beach gave up 32 points a game last season, but not having to play Oregon and UCLA on successive Saturdays this year should help. UCLA, which beat the 49ers, 56-3, has been replaced on the schedule by Cal State Northridge.

Paul Oates, who played in seven games over the past three years as the backup to record-setting Jeff Graham, will be at quarterback. He will work behind a strong offensive line that has 6-5, 290-pound Dave McKinnon and 6-5, 300-pound Cornelius Harrell. Oates’ top receiver will be Derek Washington, who caught 48 passes for 752 yards last season.

Tailback Andre Southerland, the leading rusher in 1988, may not play because of nerve damage in his shoulder. His replacement will be Freddie Leslie Jr., a transfer from Los Angeles Southwest.

Linebacker Pepper Jenkins has moved to end in an attempt to strengthen a defensive line that is experienced but lacks depth. The defensive backfield has veterans Marc Tourville, Keith Washington, Stan Davis and Leon Patterson, but also contending for a starting job is Jay Carballo, the shortstop on the Long Beach baseball team.

NEVADA LAS VEGAS

1988 records: 4-7 overall, 3-4 conference

1988 conference finish: Fifth (tie)

This is the year Wayne Nunnely has been looking toward. In his fourth year as coach, the question isn’t who is back, but who isn’t? Only five starters are gone from last season’s team, two on defense and three on offense.

“This time I can say this is going to be the best team we’ll field since I’ve been at UNLV,” Nunnely said.

It had better be. With only 15 freshman and sophomores on a preseason roster of 80, Nunnely is staking a lot on this season, and apparently prepared to rely on community college players in the near future.

UNLV’s outstanding player is punter Tony Rhynes, whose 44-yard average last season was the fourth best in the country.

The defense is the strength of the team, where the Rebels have nose guard Doc Wise, linebacker Jody Reinoehl, who led the team with 103 tackles, and safety Charles Anthony, who blocked six kicks last season.

The strength of the offense is Tommy Jackson, a first-team all-conference running back who led UNLV in rushing with 894 yards and is also an able receiver. The biggest question on offense is at quarterback, where Chuck Price started eight games as a freshman, passing for 1,200 yards but throwing eight interceptions.

NEW MEXICO STATE

1988 records: 1-10 overall, 0-7 conference

1988 conference finish: Eighth

The Aggies came close more often last season, but still won only one game, beating Kansas, 42-29. They also lost three games by five points or fewer. That is the way progress is measured at a school that has had only one winning season since 1967.

“We feel like we covered a lot of ground,” Coach Mike Knoll said. “Now the important thing is to double that progress.”

Former Los Angles Hamilton High player Phil Vinson, who was the starting quarterback two years ago but missed the final four games with a shoulder injury, did not win the position back until the final two games of last season. Knoll plans for him to direct the run-oriented offense designed for fullback Anthony Singleton, another former Hamilton player.

The team has capable receivers, but the offensive line, Knoll said, “is a question mark.”

The defense, built around four-year starting linebacker Sam Dickey, “is getting closer to being the attacking, turnover-forcing type of defense that we have wanted to be,” Knoll said.

PACIFIC

1988 records: 2-9 overall, 2-5 conference

1988 conference finish: Seventh

After 11 consecutive losing seasons, Pacific says it is making a commitment to football. Walt Harris, who left a job as offensive coordinator at Tennessee to become Pacific’s coach, may be the person to reap the benefits. President Bill Atchley, formerly president of Clemson University, has a goal to inject $2 million in private funds over the next four years. Already Harris has been able to raise assistant’s salaries, hire an eighth assistant and take Auburn off the schedule in 1990.

One of Harris’ first moves is to dump the wishbone offense.

“We will throw the ball,” he said. “However, we have 31 seniors who were recruited to run the bone and we must get them into the passing offense.”

A freshman could start at quarterback--either Troy Kopp, who played at Mission Viejo High School last year, or David Henigan, who played at Fountain Valley High. The only returning quarterback is Tony Nordbeck, a redshirt freshman.

UTAH STATE

1988 records: 4-7 overall, 4-3 conference

1988 conference finish: Third (tie)

The Aggies, as have Pacific and New Mexico State, have been losing for most of the decade, but fewer people seem to have noticed. The last winning season was in 1980, when Utah State went 6-5. Chuck Shelton, entering his fourth season, has done no better than 5-6. As usual, he has a difficult nonconference schedule, this one including USC (Sept. 16) and Illinois.

But within the conference, only a loss to Fullerton in the final game last season kept Utah State out of second place--one of the advantages of playing in the Big West.

Utah State’s big problem last season was a defense that gave up 33 points a game. Most of that unit returns, a matter of uncertain comfort. The Aggies were able to win four games with a quick-striking offense behind quarterback Brent Snyder.

Kirk Johnson and Kevin White, both sophomores, are competing to replace Snyder, who passed for 3,218 yards last season. The offensive focus probably will turn to a ground game designed for tailback Brett Payne.

Times staff writer Dick Wagner contributed to this story.