Fullerton Self-Destructs Again in 42-14 Loss to Colorado State

Cal State Fullerton is no Michigan, but for here and for now it will do for Earle Bruce.

The last time Bruce won a football game as a Division I coach, he beat Michigan in his Ohio State farewell, the Saturday after he was fired.

Bruce might not win another game such as that as long as he lives, but he got a victory with a measure of sweetness on Saturday. Bruce guided Colorado State to its first victory in his three-game tenure, a 42-14 bashing of the Titans in a game in which Fullerton contributed mightily to its own demise.

As for Fullerton, this story has been heard before. Coach Gene Murphy didn’t much bother with the litany of self-destruction this time: “sins of commission and omission,” he said.

The Titans turned the ball over seven times Saturday, including four interceptions by starting quarterback Dan Speltz and a fumbled punt reception at their 16 that quickly became a Ram touchdown.

“When you’ve got a mediocre team and you turn the ball over seven times, you don’t expect to win,” Murphy said. “I don’t care if it’s football, baseball or dominoes.”

With the victory, Colorado State broke a six-game losing streak dating to Oct. 22, 1988, when the Rams beat San Diego State. Before that victory, the Rams had lost 11 consecutive games.

With help from the Titans, Colorado State rolled to its third victory in the past 27 games. They had not scored so many points since the third game of 1986.

So much for talk of a nonconference schedule Fullerton could handle.

With no Florida, no Louisiana State, no West Virginia this year, the Titans had what appeared to be a cakewalk--or at least a contest. Fullerton’s four non-conference opponents combined for a 17-27 record last season.

A 4-0 start seemed possible; 3-1 would do. But after three games, the Titans are 1-2, with their only victory coming against Division II Cal State Northridge.

Where then, is the solace of playing Colorado State instead of West Virginia? Not on the scoreboard: The Mountaineers beat Fullerton, 45-10.

Colorado State lost on the road to two nationally ranked teams, Tennessee and Colorado, in its first two games, and then came home to face Fullerton.

The Rams took a 14-point halftime lead, but Fullerton trimmed it to seven in the third quarter before breaking open the game with three fourth-quarter touchdowns.

“I’m really pleased with our first win,” said Bruce, who was fired at Ohio State in 1987 and coached at Division I-AA Northern Iowa last year. “That’s the way we want to do it.”

Fullerton stopped Colorado State early. After the Rams drove to the one-yard line on their first possession, Fullerton’s Chris Wright jarred the ball from Tony Carr near the goal line. Fullerton’s J.C. Farrow recovered, and the Titans had preserved a scoreless tie.

But Colorado State would score first, going up 7-0 after Fullerton’s Nuygen Pendleton fumbled a punt reception at the Titan 16. That set up one of four short touchdown runs by Todd Yert, this one from two yards out three plays after the fumble.

Fullerton tied the score after a 78-yard touchdown pass from Speltz to Richard Harrison in the second quarter.

But Colorado State scored two more touchdowns before halftime, the second set up after Colorado State’s Gary Thompson intercepted a Speltz pass off the hands of receiver Tony Dill at the Titan 40.

That interception was one in which the blame didn’t rest with Speltz, who has had seven in the past two games. But there were others that did.

Often hurried by a blitzing defense, Speltz was looking for receivers against the Rams’ man-to-man coverage.

Speltz said that made for big plays--either way.

“A couple of times they intercepted, but if our guy catches it, it’s a touchdown,” Speltz said.

Murphy was not ready to place blame, however.

“I don’t want to castigate him until I see the film,” he said.

Fullerton got back in the game in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 21-14 on Speltz’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Rocky Palamara, who had been ill on Friday but was able to play.

Speltz finished with 220 yards on 12-of-22 passing, with four interceptions, and Mike Pringle led the Fullerton running attack with 137 yards in 25 carries, his second consecutive 100-yard performance.

But the Rams quickly took over again. The Titans had them in a third-and-3 situation at the Ram 42. But quarterback Mike Gimenez found Greg Scott on the left sideline, and Scott turned the play into a 42-yard gain, putting the Rams on the Titan 16. Four plays later, Yert scored again.

Fullerton helped Colorado State on its next drive by twice drawing defensive penalties on third downs, both times giving the Rams a first down. Colorado State eventually scored on that drive as well.

The final touchdown came after Speltz’s final interception, a pickoff by Lance Ane at the Titan 45, which he returned to the 30.

“I guess the objective of any head football coach is to win every game you play, but if you don’t win, you expect to get better as a football team,” Murphy said. “We got better individually today, but I don’t think we got better as a team.”

Mostly, it was more of the same--mistakes.

“It’s a shame, because we were not out-talented today,” Pringle said. “We just have to learn to win.”