Titans Figure They Have a Chance Today

Another week, another Southeastern Conference voyage, another dollar for the Cal State Fullerton football team, which plays today at Mississippi State.

Until last week, one might have figured this was just another lucrative loss for CSUF (Cal State Under-Funded). The needy Titans will collect $150,000 to play the Bulldogs.

But that was before Fullerton’s strong second-half showing in a 38-17 loss to Auburn last week, a performance that made the Titans believe they can come here, take the money and win, not run.

“We’re still definite underdogs,” Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy said. “But if we play like we did in the second half against Auburn, we’re capable of staying in the game. We could beat them, but it would take a great effort by us, and some great things would have to go our way.”

It’s amazing what outscoring Auburn, 14-7, in the second half will do for your outlook on life.

There was virtually no talk of defeating the third-ranked Tigers last week. The Titans’ objectives were to be as competitive as possible and not be embarrassed on the scoreboard.

Mission partially accomplished. The Tigers blew the Titans away in a 31-3 first half, but Fullerton held its own in the second for a more-than-respectable final score.

Many would have considered Mississippi State to be another heavy favorite today, but the Titans’ play against Auburn has changed Fullerton’s expectations.

The Titans figure if they can stick with Auburn, the SEC favorite, for a half, why shouldn’t they stick for two halves with Mississippi State, a lower-echelon SEC team that lost to Tennessee, 40-7, last Saturday?

“We have a different confidence level this week--we feel we can win,” Fullerton running back Reggie Yarbrough said. “They’re coming off a big loss and are probably feeling low. We’re at the point where if we put things together, we can beat a lot of teams.”

Murphy said if last Saturday’s second half was an indication of how hard the Titans can play, they’ll do fine today. Problem is, Murphy doesn’t know how his inexperienced team will respond.

The Titans struggled to beat Division II Sonoma State, 38-24, in the season opener and actually looked better in the second half against Auburn than they did the entire game against Sonoma.

“I don’t know this football team at all,” Murphy said. “We didn’t play with a lot of emotion against Sonoma State, but we did against Auburn. The toughest thing to do is emotionally arouse your team to perform at its highest level of ability every week. So anything that would happen today would not surprise me.”

One thing working for the Titans is their offensive style, which is foreign to most SEC teams.

SEC teams are used to power offenses--most would rather line up and stuff the ball down your throat than pass. Games are usually won in the trenches.

Compared to the SEC’s “smash-mouth” style, Fullerton’s offense wags its tongue at defenses, pecking away with quick short-yardage passes and spreading the field by sending out four or five receivers.

There are even times when Fullerton uses a no-back set--disdainful to SEC fans but often effective for the Titans. Some Auburn players admitted it was difficult adjusting to Fullerton’s offense, and Murphy hopes the Bulldogs have similar problems today.

“You can’t smash-mouth when your only running back is your quarterback,” Murphy said. “If you’re not used to seeing a spread offense all over the field, you’re bound to make mistakes. It would be like us facing a wishbone team. It would take longer for us to prepare, because we don’t see that in our conference.”

Fullerton also doesn’t see the kinds of athletes SEC teams face on a weekly basis. Mississippi State might not be the class of the SEC, but the Bulldogs are in a class above the Titans when it comes to speed, size and strength.

“Sometimes (our finesse) negates a mismatch in athletic ability,” Murphy said. “But for the most part, speed kills and athletic ability catches up to you.”

Titan Notes

A connecting flight that was supposed to have taken the Titans from Nashville to Jackson, Miss., was diverted from Detroit to Grand Rapids, Mich., because of thunderstorms Friday, and that left the Titans stranded in the Nashville airport for about six hours. When the team finally boarded another plane, departure was delayed for another half hour because of thunderstorms. The team missed a scheduled practice Friday evening and didn’t arrive at its Columbus, Miss., hotel until 11:45 p.m. (CDT). . . . Freshman kickoff returner Dwayne McAfee missed the bus from Fullerton to LAX Friday morning and did not make the trip to Mississippi.

Mississippi State Coach Rockey Felker said any thoughts his players entertained of this being an easy victory dissipated when they watched films of the Auburn-Fullerton game. “It certainly made our players realize that Fullerton is a good team, even though we don’t know much about them,” Felker said. “They battled Auburn, played very aggressively, and they gave them problems offensively and defensively. . . . Fullerton has its share of problems, too. Considered one of its strengths in the preseason, the Titans’ defensive secondary is hurting. Free safety Terry Tramble, an All-Big West Conference pick in 1989, is out for the season with a broken forearm and cornerback Nuygen Pendleton has been slowed by a sprained ankle. Auburn took full advantage of the soft spots, passing for 339 yards and four touchdowns last week. . . . Offensive lineman John Cotti and Tim Drevno are also questionable for today’s game with injuries. . . . One of Mississippi State’s best defensive players is nose guard Demetrius Hill, a cousin of former Fullerton defensive lineman Jerry Leggett, who was recently cut by the Los Angeles Rams. Leggett, a Titan in 1988, played three seasons at Mississippi State before transferring to Fullerton. . . . The Bulldogs have a dangerous return man in Tony James, who had 82 yards on two kickoff returns last week and a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown.