San Jose State Is Hoping to Settle Score With Titans

A Cal State Fullerton assistant coach bumped into a San Jose State assistant while scouting last Saturday’s Fullerton-Cal State Long Beach football game. According to Titan Coach Gene Murphy, this brief conversation took place.

“You guys take it easy on us next week,” the Fullerton assistant said.

“Yeah, just like you guys have taken it easy on us five of the last seven years,” came the reply.

San Jose State, ranked among the nation’s top 35 teams by several publications, is an overwhelming favorite to defeat Fullerton in tonight’s Big West Conference game.

But the last-place Titans will get no sympathy from the first-place Spartans. This is pay-back time for San Jose State, which is looking to avenge five losses to Fullerton in the past seven games.

“We’ve certainly taken a historical perspective in preparing for this game,” said Terry Shea, the first-year San Jose State coach who spent three seasons (1984-86) as the Spartans’ offensive coordinator.

Shea’s staff has spent the past week or so reminding players of the 1988 game, when Fullerton routed San Jose State, 58-13, and the 1989 game, when the depleted Titans, down to 45 players because of injuries, came to San Jose and won, 28-14.

So if you think the Spartans are taking Fullerton lightly, perhaps looking ahead to a Nov. 17 showdown against Fresno State, think again.

“I expect a well-oiled, well-prepared team to take the field tonight,” Shea said. “It doesn’t matter what Fullerton’s track record is. We’ll be ready to play.”

Fullerton’s track has been lined with high and intermediate hurdles, and the Titans have cleared only one--Sonoma State.

Since a season-opening victory over the Division II Cossacks, Fullerton has lost eight in a row, four to clearly superior teams (Auburn, Mississippi State, Fresno State and Hawaii) and four to supposedly comparable teams (Akron, Nevada Las Vegas, Pacific and Long Beach).

The Titans have been blown out of most games but have been in a few, such as last week’s 37-35 loss to Long Beach, which won on a last-second field goal.

San Jose State, on the other hand, has been in every game, some against supposedly superior opponents, and is within four points of an undefeated season. The Spartans tied Louisville, 10-10 (missing a field goal as time ran out); lost to Washington, 20-17, (despite an edge in total yards) and lost to California, 35-34 (when a two-point conversion attempt in the final two minutes failed). Louisville is currently ranked 25th; Washington is seventh.

The Spartans also managed a 29-23 victory over Stanford, which beat Notre Dame.

“If you look at our season from the first to most recent game, you see a very consistent football team,” Shea said. “We’ve been in every game, and we probably should have won the games we didn’t.”

San Jose State has an explosive offense that features versatile tailback Sheldon Canley, who leads the nation in all-purpose yardage with an average of 208.1 per game. Canley, a 5-foot-8, 193-pound senior, has 948 yards rushing, 258 receiving and 459 on kickoff returns.

Senior quarterback Ralph Martini, a transfer from Brigham Young, has had a surprisingly strong season, completing 149 of 272 passes for 2,027 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has thrown for 300 yards or more in three of the past four games.

“We weren’t really expecting him to play a starring role, but he’s really blossomed in the last four games,” Shea said. “He’s a big, strong guy who has developed passing skill and touch.”

The defense will be without one of its best players, junior free safety Hesh Colar, who has been suspended for at least one game because he violated a team rule that placed nightclubs off limits. Colar was arrested at a nightclub last week on charges of resisting and obstructing an officer, disturbing the peace and trespassing.

Another top player, linebacker Everett Lampkins, is doubtful, recovering from mid-September knee surgery.

But the Spartans still have an outstanding nose tackle in Bob Bleisch and two solid linebackers in Lyneil Mayo and Mike Scialabba. They are fifth in the nation in run defense, allowing an average of 89.5 yards per game.

“We’ve really played every game with a high level of energy, and our standard of play has been high,” Shea said. “I can’t imagine this weekend being any different.”

Titan Notes

Fullerton senior J.J. Celestine, the Titans’ leading receiver with 43 catches for 690 yards, caught his first college touchdown pass against San Jose State, an 87-yarder on the first play of the 1988 game. It remains the second-longest touchdown pass in Fullerton history. . . . The Titans, who turned the ball over 22 times in the first six games, actually have a plus-two turnover ratio in the past three. They had four turnovers against Pacific but recovered two fumbles and intercepted three passes. They had four turnovers at Hawaii but recovered five fumbles. Fullerton and Long Beach had one turnover last week, although the lone Titan fumble led to the 49ers’ game-winning field goal. . . . Fullerton slotback Damond Hogan, who has missed the past two games because of a shoulder injury, is expected to return tonight, but the Titans will still be without defensive linemen Dave Dorf and Jamal Jones, and linebacker Stan Breland, who are out with knee injuries. Jones’ replacement, J.C. Farrow, is suffering from severely bruised biceps but is expected to play. Offensive tackle Damien Macaluso is expected to play despite knee and shoulder injuries.