COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Pacific Again Can’t Cope With Collins : His 3 Interceptions, 81-Yard Return Help Fullerton Win, 43-37

Call Coach Bob Cope of Pacific a slow learner. Or, maybe, just plain stubborn.

Homework taught him that Cal State Fullerton cornerback Mark Collins, headed for three postseason college all-star games, has the speed, strength and pure athletic ability that projects into first-round NFL draft potential.

Personal experience taught him that Collins, as a sophomore, established a conference record by intercepting four passes against Cope’s Tigers on a particularly long October afternoon in 1983.

Yet, Saturday at Santa Ana Stadium, with his team facing its final exam of the 1985 season and Collins psyched out of his orange jersey to end his collegiate career, Cope considered his options:

a) Throw safe screen passes and tight sideline passes as far away from Collins as possible, the way most of Fullerton’s opponents did this fall.

b) Keep handing the ball to the fullback.

c) Damn the scouting reports and throw recklessly into Collins’ country.

Opting for c), Cope had his quarterbacks pass . . . and pass . . . and pass into coverage of Collins.

Not surprisingly, the Tigers flunked.

Collins intercepted three passes to prevent one probable touchdown for Pacific and set up a certain one for Fullerton as the Titans defeated the Tigers, 43-37, before a crowd of 4,215. The victory gave Fullerton (6-5) its third consecutive winning season and sole possession of second place in the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. at 5-2.

It wouldn’t have been possible without Collins. The 5-10, 195-pound senior picked off one pass at the Titan five-yard line to shut down a Pacific drive in the third quarter and intercepted another at the Tiger 10 in the fourth period. Three plays after that turnover, Fullerton scored its final touchdown of the game--which eventually proved the difference.

The three interceptions gave Collins a career total of 20, second best in PCAA history behind Cal State Long Beach’s Jeff Severson (23). Seven of them came in two monumental efforts against Pacific.

Not only that, but Collins also got his hands on the football for a first-quarter punt return Saturday and turned it into an 81-yard touchdown. It was the first touchdown of his college career.

“I can’t say I’m going to be real sad to see him leave,” Cope said. “I’m going to look into it and if the NCAA lets me, I’m going to buy him a gift for graduation.”

No real need for that, coach. Three passes into Collins’ zone in one half was gift enough.

Earlier this season, Collins wondered if he’d see three passes thrown his way in a month.

“It was getting awfully lonesome out there, a little boring,” Collins said. “When I saw those passes today, my eyes got big-- really big.”

Collins said he wasn’t surprised to see Cope’s quarterbacks, Greg Murphy and Hue Jackson, attack him. “I know Coach Cope and he doesn’t care who you are, he’s going to test you,” Collins said.

Gene Murphy, the Fullerton coach, said he didn’t know why Cope and his Tigers would attempt to go where other teams hadn’t even considered exploring. “But I’m happy they did,” he said.

Cope shrugged off any second-guessing. “We were just running our offense,” he said. “Mark Collins is a great player, but we hung a couple balls up there for him. It didn’t take a great player to make those plays.”

Pacific also hung a punt up for Collins in the first period. That wasn’t too good an idea, either.

Collins fielded it, veered toward the right sideline and carried it 81 yards for a touchdown, giving Fullerton a 15-0 lead.

The Titans built that advantage to 22-0 on a five-yard run by Rick Calhoun, who netted 133 yards in 25 carries. But by the end of the third quarter, Pacific (5-7) had rallied to take a 30-29 lead.

Calhoun and freshman quarterback Tony Dill helped restore the lead to Fullerton in the final period. Dill, who completed 12 of 22 passes for 218 yards and 3 touchdowns, hit James Pruitt with a five-yard scoring pass for a 37-30 advantage. And Calhoun scored his second touchdown from two yards out with 6:42 left, giving the Titans a 43-30 edge.