COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Hawaii Diversions Have Murphy Worried

Beaches of white sand and an ocean of clear, blue water. The year-round, tropical warmth. The night life of wacky Waikiki. They all make Hawaii a wonderful place to visit.

But, as Cal State Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy will tell you, it’s not the ideal place to go to win a college football game. Murphy, whose team plays the University of Hawaii tonight at 10:30 (PDT) in Aloha Stadium, is well aware of the distractions. Keeping his players focused on football instead of sightseeing and snorkeling may be Murphy’s ultimate test.

“It’s the island of hospitality,” Murphy said. “Everyone’s so dang nice.”

Everyone except the Rainbow Warriors, who, in recent years, have greeted the Titans with a hearty Aloha-ha. Fullerton has won only one of eight games in Honolulu since 1972.

The Titans have lost this season in such garden spots as Las Cruces, N.M., and Moscow, Ida. They have lost in Reno and Las Vegas. They may be 2-0 at home, but they are 0-6 on the road.

Sophomore linebacker Jeff Hipp said: “It does present some problems, but everybody knows we’re there to play a game. The coach is going to give us some free time so we can rent mopeds and cruise around the island. He sort of has to. It’s not every day we’re in Hawaii.”

There are some rules, though. Players are told to stay off the beaches because sunburns and shoulder pads don’t mix. Curfews will be strictly enforced. But the Titans will be allowed some time to roam. “They can’t be cloistered monks,” Murphy said.

Murphy just hopes that whatever fun that the Titans have doesn’t lead to trouble in paradise. The Titans need to win the remainder of their games to finish at .500. And the schedule won’t get any easier. Fullerton concludes the season against Fresno State, San Jose State and University of the Pacific, all contenders for the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. championship and a berth in the California Bowl.

The Titans played their best game of the season last Saturday in beating Utah State, 33-0. Meanwhile, Hawaii was struggling on the mainland. The Rainbow Warriors (3-2) lost to Colorado State, 31-7, at Fort Collins, Colo.

But Fort Collins is a long way from Oahu, where opponents have a habit of taking weekend vacations.

Titan Notes Backup quarterback Rich Sheriff, who also serves as Fullerton’s snapper on punts, is the son of Hawaii Athletic Director Stan Sheriff. . . . Redshirt freshman Mike Schaffel, who recently beat out junior Tom Phillips for the starting free safety position, also has been named the Titans’ special teams captain. “He kind of relishes pain,” Coach Gene Murphy said. . . . The Titans are scheduled to return to Fullerton at about 6 p.m. Sunday. They needn’t bother unpacking. They leave Wednesday afternoon for a nationally televised Thursday night game at Fresno. . . . Tonight’s game will be played on the AstroTurf of Aloha Stadium. The Titans are 0-3 on artificial turf this season and 6-22 all time. . . . Defensive back James Howard needed eight stitches in his hand for a cut received while intercepting a pass in practice earlier this week. Howard is expected to play against Hawaii.