Cal State Fullerton Notebook / Robyn Norwood : For Titans, Nevin Is the Closest Thing to a Sure Thing

Cal State Fullerton football Coach Gene Murphy can be a gambler, but this time there was no temptation.

With only enough time remaining for one play from the San Diego State five-yard line Saturday, the decision to send Phil Nevin in for a field goal and a 41-41 tie was simple, Murphy said Monday.

“Ain’t no deliberating, he’s gonna kick it,” Murphy said.

The Titans could have tried to score the touchdown, which would have pulled out a victory and given Fullerton a 2-2 record entering its Big West Conference opener against Nevada Las Vegas at noon Saturday in Santa Ana Stadium.

But Fullerton already had failed to get into the end zone on two plays from the 10 or closer. If they failed once more, the Titans would go into the conference season 1-3, with their esteem down around their ankles.

Go for it?

“No,” Murphy said.

“Say we went for it and didn’t make it . . . “

He let his expression speak for him. With a loss, it would be hard to rejuvenate the team for the conference season, the one Murphy says really matters.

There were other plays to look back on. There was Nuygen Pendleton’s punt return for a touchdown, nullified by a clipping penalty--a penalty Murphy disputed Monday. There was the second chance San Diego State got on a missed point after touchdown after Chris Wright was called for being offsides, another call Murphy questioned. The Aztecs made the second one.

There was Murphy’s own call, a decision to punt instead of bringing Nevin on for what would have been about a 54-yard field goal attempt.

And there was Murphy’s disappointment in Tony Dill and Tim Byrnes, who didn’t head straight for the sidelines to get out of bounds and stop the clock after making catches on the final drive.

“You go back and look and say if we would have done this and if we would have done that, we would have won the game,” Murphy said. “But you do that every Saturday night and it will drive you bonkers.”

Instead, Murphy went for the closest thing to a sure thing the Titans have. He called on Nevin.

Murphy had watched his team let a 13-point lead get away Saturday, but he had to be a bit amused when San Diego State called a timeout as Nevin prepared to kick the last-play field goal.

“(They) think this guy is an ordinary freshman,” Murphy thought.

Murphy knew better. He turned to find Nevin, the remarkable kicker who has been flawless in four games after spurning professional baseball for college baseball and football. The Aztecs were trying to make him think it over, trying to unnerve his 22-yard field goal attempt.

Murphy found Nevin was scanning San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, taking in the scene.

“He’s thinking he’ll play baseball here one day,” Murphy said.

Ordinary freshman?

“(One Titan player) thinks he’s a graduate student,” Murphy said. “He’s an unbelievable 18-year-old.”

The field goal was Nevin’s fourth of the game, and his seventh in seven tries this season. He made it look like a cinch, but then, he made a 54-yarder against Cal State Northridge look like a cinch, too.

He also has made 10 of 10 PATs, and has a 40-yard punting average.

Mike Pringle, who rushed for more than 100 yards for the third game in a row Saturday, had 302 all-purpose yards against the Aztecs but fell from first in the nation to second.

Houston’s Chuck Weatherspoon, formerly of La Habra High School, is first in all-purpose yards with a 245-yard average. Pringle (240.3) is second, and San Jose State’s Sheldon Canley (221.5) is third.

Pringle is averaging 118 yards a game rushing.

Quarterback Dan Speltz did not throw an interception Saturday for the first game this season, completing 25 of 32 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns.

Nevada Las Vegas has multiple injuries after a victory over New Mexico State Saturday, including starting tailback Tommy Jackson (sprained knee) and starting quarterback Chuck Price (possible fracture of right ring finger).

Titan Notes

The Titan volleyball team plays top-ranked Hawaii in Titan Gym at 7:30 tonight. . . . Susan Herman ranks third in the nation in hitting percentage and the Titan team ranks eighth. Hawaii is sixth. . . . The soccer team plays host to top-20 ranked Fresno State Sunday.