Titans Face Two Tough Foes Tonight--UNLV, Themselves

LAS VEGAS —  Containing Nevada Las Vegas’ option offense, which totalled 628 yards in last week’s 37-28 victory over the University of the Pacific, will be a formidable task for Cal State Fullerton. The Titans have allowed an average of 421 yards and 35 points per game this season.

But to have any success in tonight’s Big West Conference game, the Titans must overcome a more lethal adversary.

“We have to eliminate our most feared opponent--ourselves,” Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy said. “If we can conquer ourselves, we’ll be in good shape.”

These Titans have been a masochistic bunch in the past three weeks. They have turned the ball over 16 times in three games, including six in last week’s 38-3 loss to Fresno State.

Many of the turnovers have been self-induced--the quarterback fumbles the snap from center or throws an interception into heavy coverage.

Many of the turnovers have come at the worst time--either near the opponent’s end zone or deep in Titan territory.

Many of the turnovers have triggered momentum swings--10 times after a Titan turnover, the opponent has scored a touchdown.

Some of the mistakes can be attributed to a lack of concentration, some to inexperience.

“You can go a whole week in practice and not have one bad center snap,” Murphy said. “But it’s a little different when you line up in front of 30,000 fans in your first conference game.”

If the Titans can eliminate or at least reduce their mistakes, though, they should be able to rack up some points tonight. When describing the Las Vegas defense, the word “stingy” doesn’t exactly come to mind.

The Rebels have been vulnerable to the run, allowing an average of 203.8 yards per game. They have been vulnerable to the pass, allowing an average of 241.4 yards per game. They have allowed an average of 32.6 points per game.

In short, this is a below-average defensive unit.

“Sometimes I think we’re out there with six or seven guys,” said Jim Strong, UNLV’s first-year coach. “I don’t know why, but it seems like the other team has more guys on offense than we have on defense. Wide receivers are always open, running backs are in our secondary. Whenever a safety is your leading tackler, that concerns you.”

Fullerton has been able to move the ball this season, averaging 361.2 yards per game. Excluding his eight interceptions, senior quarterback Paul Schulte has had a decent season, completing 61 of 127 passes for 991 yards and four touchdowns.

Running back Reggie Yarbrough has 486 yards and four touchdowns in 103 carries, and receivers J.J. Celestine (20 catches, 334 yards) and Richard Harrison (17 catches, 327 yards) are having solid seasons.

But at times, the end zone has seemed like a repellent to the Titans. Receivers who have caught passes behind the secondary have been caught from behind by defensive backs, and Fullerton has turned the ball over too often on its final approach to the goal line.

Last week, the Titans had 402 total yards, and all they had to show for it was three points.

“That’s ridiculous,” Murphy said.

Fullerton hasn’t been a Titan of defense this season, either, and facing an explosive Rebel offense, the Titans will be without their best defensive player, linebacker Clarence Siler. Siler injured his knee and ankle last week and is out for three to four games.

UNLV’s offense relies on deception, with quarterback Derek Stott running the option with fullback Marvin Eastman and tailback Teddy James.

But the Rebel offense is not to be confused with Oklahoma’s run-at-all-costs wishbone--Stott averages 22 passes per game and last week completed 21 of 28 attempts for 280 yards.

UNLV also has an outstanding all-round threat in flanker-quarterback-return specialist Hunkie Cooper, who ranks seventh in the nation in all-purpose yards per game with a 163.8 average. Cooper plays quarterback in many short-yardage situations and may also play some defensive back tonight, Strong said.

“They’re a talented team,” Fullerton defensive coordinator Kirk Harmon said. “Even if you run up 628 yards against air, you’re pretty good.”

Titan Notes

Fullerton will be without defensive tackle Dave Dorf, who injured knee ligaments in practice this week and will miss two to four games. If you’re keeping track, that’s 10 starters who have missed action because of injuries this season, including four who will not play tonight. But don’t look for any sympathy from UNLV Coach Jim Strong. The Rebels have lost 11 starters to injuries this season. In fact, Strong has become so desperate that he is considering playing three players, Hunkie Cooper, John Ma’ae and on both offense and defense. . . . UNLV leads the series, 10-4, but Fullerton has won the past three games. . . . Titan receiver J.J. Celestine, who also returns kickoffs, ranks 17th in the nation in all-purpose yardage with an average of 143.6 per game.