Spring Football : Schulte Leads Orange to 10-0 Upset : Titans’ No. 2 Quarterback Throws Late Touchdown Pass

Cliff Hatter, the Cal State Fullerton equipment manager and coach of the Orange team in the Titans’ intrasquad scrimmage, took an unusual approach to this year’s May Bowl, the Titans’ lighthearted spring football game.

Given his choice, Hatter let rival Jerry Lloyd, the team trainer, pick what appeared to be the more star-studded squad.

Given the option of practicing as he wished, Hatter gave his team Friday off “so they could study.”

It paid off Saturday night with a bucketful of cold water over his head after Hatter won his first May Bowl in three tries, shutting out the favored White team, 10-0.

Said Lloyd, “Next year, we’re going to the library on Friday.”

Hatter’s team, led by Titan backup quarterback Paul Schulte, 5-foot-5 tailback Chip Grant and backup receiver Anthony Reese, outgained the White team, 211 yards to 91.

The Orange took a 3-0 lead in the second quarter on a 22-yard field goal by Kevin Ferguson, and sealed the victory with a 16-yard, Schulte-to-Reese touchdown pass with 2:48 left.

That was Hatter’s gamble call late in the game, when his advisers were telling him to play conservatively.

“You’d better believe they really coach,” said Titan Coach Gene Murphy, who toted his camera on the sidelines, strictly an observer.

The surprises of the game were Grant, who rushed for 66 yards on 18 carries; Schulte, who threw for 97 yards and completed eight of 13 passes, and Reese, who caught four passes for 51 yards.

None figure to start for the Titans next year.

The Orange also got pretty good support from a defense that sacked starting quarterback Dan Speltz six times--four times by Keith Radovcich.

The White offense, led by Speltz, and two of last season’s leading offensive players, never did much.

Speltz completed 10 of 20 passes for 65 yards, Pringle rushed for 48 and Palamara caught three passes for 28.

But no one on the Fullerton sideline--either one--was too upset.

“That’s not our starting offensive unit or our regular offense,” Murphy said. “The Northern Illinois scouts are here.”

Northern Illinois will be the Titans’ first opponent next season.

Speltz, in fact, summed up the acknowledged purpose of the game--whose primary rule is that rules are subject to change at whim.

“It’s a fund-raiser,” Speltz said. “That’s the bottom line. Throughout the spring, we’ve had our No. 1 offense against our No. 1 defense in scrimmages. That’s where we really see what people can do.”