Titans Try to Keep Rolling on Road : Fullerton, Unbeaten in Big West, Faces Winless Utah State

The leaves are just past their colorful peak in the Cache Valley, an event many locals hope marks the changing of the football season at Utah State.

Utah State has finished a nonconference schedule that included USC and Illinois, classic mismatches in the Big West Conference play-for-pay style. And after four games, all losses, the Aggies have a set of the scariest statistics this side of the last day of October.

Utah State is last in the Big West in six of nine statistical categories, including:

--Scoring offense, averaging eight points a game.

--Scoring defense, allowing an average of 47 points.

--Total defense, giving up 588 yards a game.

There, but for the grace of Athletic Director Ed Carroll and the unavailability of a game in the big-time, might go Cal State Fullerton. But not this year.

Fullerton enters its game against the Aggies at noon today in Romney Stadium on an offensive roll after scoring a total of 75 points in its past two games.

Fullerton is 2-2-1 overall, but after a 34-20 defeat of Nevada Las Vegas last week, the Titans are 1-0 in conference.

And this is one of those games that have come to be known, in the Gene Murphy phrase book, as the biggest game of the season this week. In other words, the one at hand. The Titans need to win to stay in position to challenge Fresno State and San Jose State in the conference.

“It doesn’t matter who (this week’s opponent is), we’ve got to be 2-0,” Murphy said.

Those games against the likes of USC and Illinois do bad things to a team’s statistics. They also render game film nearly worthless for scouting purposes.

“They’re hard to judge, just like we would be after games like that,” Murphy said.

For Utah State, this game is an opportunity--at least in comparison to the games against USC (66-10) and Illinois (41-2). Even Utah defeated the Aggies easily, 45-10. Utah State’s other loss was to Brigham Young, 37-10.

“The good news is that we’re away from that schedule,” Utah State Coach Chuck Shelton said. “The bad news is we haven’t beaten Fullerton in (six) years.”

Fullerton has received outstanding performances from quarterback Dan Speltz the past two weeks, as well as the type of game that has come to be standard from running back Mike Pringle, who will be trying for his fifth 100-yard game in a row.

Utah State has struggled, but nowhere more than at quarterback, where sophomore Kirk Johnson will start. Johnson started the first two games and then Shelton tried Kevin White, another sophomore. But White was injured against Illinois and remains out of action, leaving Johnson, who has thrown five interceptions and completed 25 of 77 passes for 314 yards.

“He has good athletic talent, but you have to mesh that talent with quarterback qualities,” Shelton said. “If he does that, we’ll be a better than average offense. We’re never gonna be great.”

Titan Notes

Phil Nevin, Cal State Fullerton’s freshman kicker and punter, suffers from asthma. He said the condition has caused him problems in baseball in the past, but not in football, although he and Coach Gene Murphy are concerned about the effect of the altitude in Logan. . . . The altitude has its positive effect as well. Nevin tried two 60-yard field goals Friday, hitting the upright on the first and putting the ball through on the second. Is he eager to try one in a game? “Definitely,” Nevin said. Murphy said he would like to give him the opportunity, depending upon the score and how well the Fullerton defense is playing. . . . Starting offensive lineman Tom Gang, bothered by a knee injury, has had limited practice time this week. Murphy said he will start.