CAL STATE FULLERTON NOTEBOOK : Lack of Complaints Hasn’t Made Losing Much Easier for Murphy

Radio sports talk shows around Southern California have not been flooded with calls demanding that Cal State Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy be fired because of the Titans’ 1-6 record.

Tuscaloosa, Ala., this isn’t.

But Murphy is still feeling a little heat, even though it’s barely enough to warm a toaster oven.

Murphy received a few semi-scathing phone calls over the weekend after Fullerton lost to Pacific, 67-37, Saturday in Santa Ana Stadium.

According to Murphy, one person said he “should get his butt fired.” Another said Murphy and his defensive coordinator, Kirk Harmon, should be fired.

And you thought Fullerton fans didn’t care?

Murphy has received a few calls like this in past seasons, but these were the first of 1990. Of course, Saturday’s game was the Titans’ first at home in six weeks, and it has been a while since Fullerton followers have had a look at the Titans.

Like most thick-skinned coaches, Murphy wasn’t fazed by the criticism.

“I don’t care who the callers were,” Murphy said. “It doesn’t bother me and it doesn’t concern me. People who hide behind phone calls and anonymous letters have never been behind the trenches in their lives.”

One perk to the Fullerton head coaching job--and there aren’t many--is that there is little outside pressure to win conference championships and play in bowl games. When the Titans have a losing season, Fullerton fans don’t foam at the mouth like those in other parts of the country. Boosters aren’t usually on your back.

But that doesn’t make losing any easier to accept.

“Whether you have pressure or not, if you’re worth your salt as a coach, you’d better have pressure from within,” Murphy said. “If you don’t have that feeling, it’s time to jump in a hole. This is not a fun season for me, the assistant coaches or the players.”

Murphy knew this would be a rebuilding season, but with all the injuries the Titans have suffered, every week has become a rebuilding week.

Saturday’s game claimed offensive tackle John Cotti, who injured a knee and will miss two to four games. Mike Simmons, another offensive tackle, re-injured his ankle, and tight end Damond Hogan separated his shoulder Saturday, and both are questionable for Saturday’s game at Hawaii.

Last week, the Titans lost defensive end Jamal Jones. The week before, they lost linebacker Clarence Siler and defensive lineman Dave Dorf. Earlier in the season, they lost defensive backs Terry Tramble and Nuygen Pendleton and offensive guard Shannon Illingworth.

“We’re putting people on the field who have never played before,” Murphy said.

The injuries have forced Murphy to shuffle players on the offensive line. Every lineman except center Bill Huston and Simmons has played out of position at one point this season.

“The big problem is when you have only three days to teach a guy a new position,” Murphy said. “You may think all offensive line positions are the same, but there are new steps and maneuvers to learn.”

This week, redshirt freshman Wally Bonnett will be listed as a reserve at both offensive and defensive tackle. In an extreme measure earlier this year, Murphy activated defensive back Terry Sullivan, whom he wanted to redshirt.

“We bit the bullet when we activated Sullivan, but we won’t do that again,” Murphy said. “If we have to put (receivers coach Jim) Chaney in pads, we will.”

Murphy, who could probably find something positive in most natural disasters, saw some good things in Saturday’s game, most notably the play of kicker/punter Kevin Ferguson.

Ferguson, an emergency starter because Phil Nevin was diagnosed as having pneumonia Friday, had kicked off several times this season, but the senior had only two previous extra-point attempts, both in 1988, and had never punted.

Murphy was confident in Ferguson’s kicking abilities but cringed at the thought of Ferguson punting.

“He puts more balls on top of our weight room than on the field in practice, and he looked terrible before the game Saturday,” Murphy said. “He put his first one up in row 14.”

Come game time, though, Ferguson looked like a veteran punter. He punted eight times for 304 yards, a 38-yard average. He was four for four on extra-point attempts and kicked a 32-yard field goal that caromed off the Santa Ana Stadium scoreboard, which sits atop a hill above the north end zone.

“He did a super job,” said Murphy, who named Ferguson special teams player of the week.

Titan Notes

Deja vu dept.: Fullerton’s 67-37 loss Saturday to Pacific came on the 21st anniversary of another lopsided loss for Titan Coach Gene Murphy. On Oct. 13, 1964, Murphy was an assistant on a North Dakota team that lost to North Dakota State, 64-14. How did Murphy remember? Because the following day, his second son, Mike, was born, and Murphy saved the front page of the local sports section as a memento. On it was the North Dakota-North Dakota State game story. . . . Overshadowed by Pacific quarterback Troy Kopp’s record-setting performance (515 yards passing, seven touchdowns) were two career-best games by Fullerton receiver J.J. Celestine and quarterback Paul Schulte. Celestine caught nine passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns, tying a Titan single-game record for touchdown receptions. His yardage was the third best for a Fullerton receiver behind Todd White’s 203 yards against Nevada Las Vegas in 1987 and Rocky Palamara’s 182 yards against Utah State in 1988. Schulte’s 296 yards passing on 20 of 37 attempts was the eighth best single-game performance in Titan history. . . . Hawaii defensive coordinator Rich Ellerson is a former Fullerton assistant who spent one season, 1980, on Murphy’s staff. The Rainbows’ defense has not allowed a touchdown in the last 11 quarters.

The Titan soccer team won two Big West Conference games last week, over UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine, to improve to 5-5-3, 3-2 in conference. Fullerton is tied for second with Santa Barbara in the Big West, behind Fresno State (4-1) and UNLV (4-2). . . . The demolition portion of the Titan Sports Complex project is under way, with workers presently tearing down existing structures, such as the baseball and softball fields and the light standards surrounding those fields. Grading for the project is expected to begin by November.