Titans Get Their Shot at Unbeaten Fresno State

When offered the honor of being a game captain on other occasions this season, Cal State Fullerton’s Chris Wright has politely declined.

“I’ll just wait until Fresno,” said Wright, a senior outside linebacker. “I don’t want to be a captain for any other game.”

This was to be Fullerton’s big game, a showdown between teams that had yet to lose in the Big West Conference--until Fullerton strayed from the script two weeks ago by losing to Utah State.

Can anyone say “anticlimax”?

The drama has diminished, but tonight’s game in Fresno’s Bulldog Stadium is still as big a game as Fullerton has on its schedule this season. A loss effectively ends any thoughts of contending for the conference championship and the California Raisin Bowl.

“They’ve been wanting to play this thing for the past three weeks,” Murphy said. “I told them, ‘Now is your chance.’ ”

“Chance” seems to be the right word. Against the Bulldogs, the Titans are underdogs--by three touchdowns or more in some estimates.

Fresno State is undefeated in six games this season and in its past 13 overall, a winning streak as long as Miami’s and second in Division I-A only to Notre Dame’s.

The Bulldog offense, led by running backs Aaron Craver and Myron Jones and guided by sophomore quarterback Mark Barsotti, is averaging 42 points a game and will be going against a Fullerton defense that is giving up an average of 30.

“It’s not going to be a low-scoring game,” Murphy said. “I just hope it’s high-scoring on both sides.”

Those hopes will rest on an offense that is led by the passing of Dan Speltz and the running of Mike Pringle, who needs 133 yards against tonight to become the fourth Titan to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. It would suit him fine to make his mark against Fresno State.

“Let’s just say Fresno State is not one of my favorite teams,” Pringle said. “I want to rack up some numbers. I really do.”

Fresno State is used to being the focus of other team’s seasons.

“We have to play hard every week because everybody we play approaches it as a big game,” Fresno State Coach Jim Sweeney said. “We’re heavily favored. I think we have the better of the two football teams. But we have to meet their level emotionally.”

Murphy has questioned his team’s emotional preparation in other games this season, but not this week.

“I’m more excited about this game than any other we’ve played this year,” Murphy said.

Wright agreed.

“It’s Fresno State. It’s for the conference championship. We could play it in a cement lot and it wouldn’t matter to me.”

Titan Notes

Fresno State has won the past four meetings between the teams. The most recent Fullerton victory was in 1984, when the Titan team that finished 11-1 won, 20-17. Last season, the Bulldogs went ahead on Kelly Skipper’s 70-yard run in the third quarter and came away with a 23-10 victory at Santa Ana Stadium. . . . Fresno State, which is outscoring opponents, 252-98, this season, has a 12-game winning streak at Bulldog Stadium.