BIG WEST PREVIEW : Heisman Trophy Beat Goes On for Pacific Quarterback Kopp

It is publicity month in college football, and Heisman Trophy campaign materials are filling media mailboxes around the country.

One recent delivery contained the usual contents--poster with quarterback passing ball, pamphlet with player’s statistics, background and Heisman credentials.

The only unusual thing was the envelope’s return address: University of the Pacific, Stockton, Calif.

You expect these things from Tigers--Auburn Tigers, Clemson Tigers, Louisiana State Tigers. Not Pacific Tigers.

There are no bronze statuettes in Pacific’s athletic department lobby, and with Brigham Young’s Ty Detmer and Houston’s David Klingler favored to win the 1991 Heisman, none are expected any time soon.

But Pacific does have a quality quarterback in Troy Kopp, the former Mission Viejo High standout who finished third in the nation in total offense, yards passing per game and touchdowns last season, and is ranked among the top 10 Heisman candidates by Football News.

“For Pacific to walk out on a plank and say we have someone good enough to win the Heisman, that takes guts,” Pacific Coach Walt Harris said.

“Some people laugh. They say, ‘University of the Pacific? You’re kidding!’ But if he gets some votes, which we think he deserves, it will put our program in a different light nationally.”

When Heisman voters consider that Kopp plays in one of the nation’s weakest Division I-A conferences, the Big West, they probably will pass on him as a serious candidate. But Kopp’s numbers should turn heads.

Kopp, who threw for 3,311 yards in only nine games last season, might pass for 4,000 yards this season. If he stays injury-free, he will play 12 games, and four of those are against Cal State Fullerton, New Mexico State, Sacramento State and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Kopp’s Heisman stock might also rise if he leads his team to a conference championship or national ranking, but the Tigers aren’t expected to finish higher than fourth in the Big West.

Traditional conference power Fresno State, which will join the Western Athletic Conference next season, is the favorite, and defending champion San Jose State and Utah State are expected to mount strong challenges.

Here is a closer look at the Big West in order of anticipated finish:

* FRESNO STATE

Last season: 8-2-1, 5-1-1, second

Kopp might have bigger numbers, but the Bulldogs might have the conference’s best all-around quarterback in senior Mark Barsotti, who will start for the fourth consecutive season.

Fresno State’s running game features fullback Lorenzo Neal (580 yards and nine touchdowns in 1990) and incoming tailback Anthony Daigle, a transfer from El Camino College. The receivers are led by Kelvin Means (40 receptions, 492 yards).

But what really separates the Bulldogs’ offense from the rest of the conference is a veteran offensive line that features tackles Jesse Hardwick and Ron Collins and guard Melvin Johnson.

The defensive line was a problem last season, but Coach Jim Sweeney says the Bulldogs have improved. The secondary is led by free safety Marquez Pope, the former Long Beach Poly standout and 1990 conference co-defensive player of the year.

“This is a much more experienced team, but we need to get back the air of confidence and cockiness that we usually have,” Sweeney said.

* SAN JOSE STATE

Last season: 9-2-1, 7-0, first

The Spartans, whose two 1990 losses were by a total of four points, have the Big West’s best receivers, featuring flanker Bobby Blackmon (39 receptions, 599 yards last season), tight end Bryce Burnett (23-313) and wide receivers Walter Brooks Jr. (32-519) and David Blakes (27-413).

But the quarterback position is still up for grabs. Fifth-year senior Matt Veatch, who sat out last season because of an elbow injury, and sophomore Jeff Garcia are battling, and Coach Terry Shea probably won’t choose a starter until the end of this week.

Maceo Barbosa will take over for tailback Sheldon Canley, and the Spartans must rebuild much of their offensive line. Defensively, San Jose State has two outstanding safeties, Hesh Colar and Anthony Washington, but the Spartans lack experience and speed at linebacker and cornerback.

“I expect us to be as good as we were last year, and the players expect that, too,” Shea said. But with the loss of 26 seniors and with seven road games, including stops at Florida, Minnesota and California, that won’t be easy.

* UTAH STATE

Last season: 5-5-1, 5-1-1, second

With 17 returning starters and a team that Coach Chuck Shelton calls his best in six years at the school, the Aggies could win their first conference title since 1979. But first, they must survive a nonconference schedule that includes games at Nebraska, Oklahoma and Brigham Young.

“It’s going to be a great challenge,” said Shelton, whose teams have been blown out by Nebraska and BYU in recent years. “But we’ve never been physically taken out of our next game because we were beat up by those types of teams.”

Utah State has the nation’s sixth-leading rusher in Roger Grant, who ran for 1,370 yards in 1990, but he will be hard-pressed for playing time by senior Floyd Foreman. Both will have the benefit of running behind an offensive line that averages 280 pounds.

The Aggies should have one of the conference’s best running attacks, but they also have a good passing game with returning quarterback Ron Lopez and receiver Tracey Jenkins, a first-team all-conference pick in 1990.

* PACIFIC

Last season: 4-7, 2-5, sixth

Kopp, who runs a no-huddle, run-and-shoot offense, will throw up to 50 times a game, and the Tigers should roll up the points. But they gave up an average of 37.4 points and 481 yards last season. With little size in the defensive line, the Tigers will employ a 2-5 alignment, with two stand-up, rushing defensive ends and three linebackers in hopes of generating a pass rush.

The Tigers have a solid linebacking unit with returning starters Ron Papazian, Gari Calhoun and Matt Volpe, but they will need improved play from the secondary.

The receivers include Aaron Turner (66 receptions, 1,264 yards, 11 touchdowns in 1990), Daryl Hobbs (62-848, 14) and Jason Edwards (50-443). The return of tailback Ryan Benjamin, who rushed for 97 yards in the 1990 opener at Tennessee before suffering a season-ending knee injury, should boost the running game.

* CAL STATE LONG BEACH

Last season: 6-5, 4-3, fourth

Willie Brown, the former Raider Hall of Fame cornerback who replaced the late George Allen as coach last winter, hopes to instill some of the Raider attitude in his 49ers.

“You won’t see any wimps on our field this year,” Brown said. “We’ll be a tough football team, aggressive on offense and defense. We won’t sit back and let teams dictate what we’re going to do.”

Long Beach has a veteran quarterback--senior Todd Studer--talented receivers in Mark Seay and Jeff Exum. The defensive line, anchored by Ed Lair, is one of the conference’s best, the secondary is solid, but the 49ers must find some way to replace inside linebacker Pepper Jenkins.

With only three home games and a nonconference schedule that includes games at Miami, San Diego State and Arizona, it will be difficult for the 49ers to finish above .500 again.

* NEVADA LAS VEGAS

Last season: 4-7, 3-4, fifth

The Rebels started 11 freshmen last season and continued the rebuilding process by signing 19 high school players last winter, so they are a year or two away from a serious challenge.

But Las Vegas does have one of the conference’s most versatile players, senior Hunkie Cooper, who played quarterback, tailback and receiver and returned punts and kickoffs last season.

Cooper, who ranked 11th in the nation in all-purpose yardage with an average of 155, will be used exclusively at wide receiver this season.

Derek Stott will start at quarterback for the third consecutive season. Lonnie Palelei, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound transfer from Purdue, should bolster the defensive line, and the Rebels have one of the conference’s best defensive backs, Carlton Johnson.

* NEW MEXICO STATE

Last season: 1-10, 1-6, seventh

The Aggies ended a 27-game losing streak by beating Fullerton in the 1990 season finale, 43-9, and Coach Jim Hess thinks they will be better this season. Why? Because they will try to improve their turnover ratio, which was minus-16 last season.

David Chisum, former standout at Fullerton Sunny Hills High and Fullerton College, returns at quarterback. Chisum was sacked 50 times last season. Jimmie Mitchell, who rushed for 863 yards last season, has been cleared academically to play.

The Aggies have a solid middle linebacker, Steve Campbell, but will have to make some drastic defensive improvements.

* CAL STATE FULLERTON

Last season: 1-11, 0-7, eighth

It will take more than one season to rebound from the events of last winter, when Titan football was nearly dropped. Five coaches and about 20 players left the program, and Fullerton also lost several recruits.

Among Fullerton’s few bright spots are running back Reggie Yarbrough, who rushed for 1,014 yards in 1990, and inside linebacker Teddy McMillan, who made 66 tackles.

The Titans, who gave up an average of 40.4 points and 507 yards last season, are thin at wide receiver, in the offensive line and in the secondary.