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Titans Put On Show in Dealing Las Vegas 34-20 Loss : Speltz Passes for 297 Yards and Four Touchdowns as Fullerton Opens Big West Play in Impressive Style

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Times Staff Writer

Cal State Fullerton, which already had won ugly, lost ugly and tied fairly attractively this season, had an audience Saturday.

Not just a crowd of 3,900 at Santa Ana Stadium, but a live television audience as well. Not to mention a press box filled with men wearing green jackets--California Raisin Bowl representatives looking over the prospects. Either that, or a convention of Masters champions.

Fullerton gave them all something to see, a 34-20 victory over Nevada Las Vegas in which the Titans scored on five of their first seven possessions, taking a 27-0 halftime lead.

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Except for a third quarter in which the Titans had the ball for only three minutes, it might have turned into a blowout of the magnitude of Fullerton’s 58-13 victory over San Jose State last season.

As it was, this was a game that proved Fullerton can compete in the Big West Conference, an issue somewhat in question after a 1-2-1 start, the only victory coming against Division II Cal State Northridge, and one of the losses to Colorado State, which had won only two games in the past two seasons.

“Going into this game, I had no idea how we were going to do,” said Titan Coach Gene Murphy, whose team had been error-prone early in the season. “All I know is this is a big win for us.”

But no matter how much Fullerton impressed green-jacketed spectators Saturday, the only way to get to the Cal Bowl in Fresno is to win the Big West Conference, and Fresno State is far and away the favorite. But by beating UNLV, Fullerton avoided the discomfort of starting the conference race with a loss, which is enough in many seasons to put a team out of the running.

UNLV (1-3, 1-1) lost to Fullerton for the third consecutive time. Until 1987, the Titans hadn’t beaten UNLV in nine games over 15 years.

It was a day on which the Titans got what has come to be expected, a 100-yard game from Mike Pringle, who was second in the nation in all-purpose yardage this week. He rushed for 117 yards, his fourth 100-yard game in a row.

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“Somebody told me I had 98, and they told the offensive line,” Pringle said. “That reflects on them when I get 100 yards.”

The Titans also got something that has been rarer, an error-free performance by Speltz, who has had his bad days and his good this season. This was clearly the latter. He was intercepted nine times in his first three games, but Saturday, for the second game in a row, he did not throw any, and he completed 19 of 28 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns.

Two weeks ago, Colorado State’s blitzing defense got the better of the Titans, and Speltz was intercepted four times. But this time, Speltz picked UNLV apart, completing short passes to Pringle that turned into big gains and relying on the good hands of Rocky Palamara, who caught 11 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns, including a 59-yard touchdown pass play in the first quarter.

Murphy credited Speltz for calling audibles on many first-half plays, taking advantage of the man-to-man coverage resulting from the blitzing attack.

Pringle was stymied on kickoff returns, making only one for 22 yards. But he picked up 74 yards on four receptions, including a short pass from Speltz in the first quarter that Pringle turned into a 47-yard touchdown, using some fancy running to cut across the width of a field crowded with defenders.

Murphy said Fullerton’s defense played its best game of the season.

“We were thinking about the shutout at halftime,” said linebacker Russ Oleyer.

But the shutout got away in the second half, when the Rebels scored three touchdowns, all on drives that began in Fullerton territory.

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UNLV Coach Wayne Nunnely said he was proud of the way his team came back, scoring 20 points in the second half.

Murphy was not proud that his team allowed it.

“That coffin should have been nailed,” he said.

Fullerton had the ball for less than three minutes in the third quarter, ran only six plays and had only five yards to show for them.

Meanwhile, UNLV made use of good field position.

Five minutes into the quarter, the Rebels took over on the Titan 43 after forcing Fullerton to punt from the end zone. Eight plays later, Kyle Toomer scored on a four-yard run, ending Fullerton’s chances for its first shutout since 1986.

UNLV got the ball back quickly after Fullerton fumbled the snap on its second play after the kickoff.

Joe Zacharia recovered, and UNLV took over at Fullerton’s 42, scoring as the quarter ran out 11 plays later on a two-yard run by quarterback Derek Stott.

With that, the game had become a contest; Fullerton’s lead was only 27-14.

But Fullerton re-established control with a six-minute, 16-play drive at the start of the fourth quarter.

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UNLV seemed to have stopped the drive at the Rebel 33-yard line after 11 plays. On fourth and 10, Fullerton passed on what would have been a 50-yard field goal attempt, even though Phil Nevin has made a 54-yarder earlier this season and hasn’t missed in nine attempts, including two Saturday.

After a five-yard delay-of-game penalty against the Titans, Nevin punted. But UNLV ran into him on its rush, drawing a penalty for roughing the kicker and giving the Titans an automatic first down at the 23.

Five plays later, Speltz lofted a dangerous pass into the end zone. But Bill Brennan, the Titans’ 6-foot-6 tight end, was there to pull it down over the head of 6-foot defender Tyrice Roderick.

“This was nice, but the next thing we have to do is work on our third quarter,” Speltz said.

UNLV added a final touchdown with 1:57 left on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Stott to Keenan McCardell on the first play after Rickie Wills’ scrambling 36-yard punt return. A two-point conversion attempt failed.

Stott, playing in place of Chuck Price, who injured a finger in a victory over New Mexico State last week, completed 12 of 21 passes for 133 yards with one interception and one touchdown. Darin Brightmon rushed for 59 yards, and Toomer had 44.

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“I think we picked up our intensity a notch this game,” Speltz said. “Hopefully, we’ll keep it going.”

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