Titans Start in Fast Lane, Finish in Ditch : Fullerton: Schulte passes for 183 yards in the first quarter but ends up with five interceptions in a 48-17 loss at Akron.

Cal State Fullerton was heading north for Cleveland Saturday until someone informed the bus driver that the Titans were playing at Akron, which was to the south of the team’s hotel in Fairlawn, Ohio.

Fullerton’s game against the Zips in the Rubber Bowl wound up turning as abruptly as the Wrong-Way Titans did earlier on Interstate 77.

Fullerton took a 10-point first-quarter lead but collapsed amid a flurry of turnovers and mistakes and lost, 48-17, before 10,241.

The Titans (1-3) looked like world-beaters in the first quarter but did a good job of beating themselves in the next three.

Quarterback Paul Schulte, who threw for 183 yards in the first quarter and appeared headed for a school passing record, set a record all right--for interceptions in a game. He was picked off five times, tying Bob Caffrey’s mark set against Utah State in 1981.

Fullerton also lost two of its three fumbles, had a punt blocked deep in its own territory, missed several tackles and dropped several passes, one a potential touchdown.

The Titan defense, which held Auburn and Mississippi State under 200 yards rushing, couldn’t contain Akron’s option offense, which featured the running of quarterback Jeff Sweitzer (111 yards and two touchdowns) and tailbacks Doug Lewis (63 yards, two touchdowns) and Marcus Reliford (86 yards).

“We met the enemy and the enemy was us,” Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy said.

“We dropped passes, lost fumbles, threw interceptions. After the first quarter, we should have got on the bus and got out of there.”

The game turned during a four-minute span early in the second quarter. First Fullerton kicker Phil Nevin’s 32-yard field goal attempt that would have extended the lead to 13-0 was ruled no good, a call the Titans disputed and even the Zips wondered about.

“I thought it went right through the uprights,” said Akron center Mike O’Connor, who is from Mater Dei High in Santa Ana. “I couldn’t believe the call. We got a break there.”

Then, after Daron Alcorn’s 37-yard field goal cut the deficit to 10-3 with 13:22 left in the half, J.J. Celestine fumbled on the ensuing kickoff return and Chris Owens recovered for the Zips (3-0-1) at the Titan 16-yard line.

It took Akron one play to make the score 10-10, as Lewis took a pitch and raced around left end for a touchdown and Alcorn added the extra point.

Akron forced Fullerton to punt on its next possession, but Nevin’s attempt was blocked by Kenneth Greene and recovered by Shawn Donaldson at the Titan 10. Two plays later, Lewis scored on a two-yard run for a 17-10 lead with 10:48 left in the quarter.

Schulte, who completed seven of 12 passes and ran a successful no-huddle offense in the first quarter, completed one of 12 passes in the second and third quarters before being pulled in favor of Terry Payne early in the fourth.

Zip cornerback Shawn Vincent had three of the five interceptions as Akron increased its season total to 15. Akron used five defensive backs and played mostly zone, but disguised its defense by covering Titan receivers close to the line of scrimmage--giving the look of man-to-man coverage.

“There were no major changes in the second quarter, we just started picking up their offense,” Vincent said.

“We came out flat in the first quarter and weren’t ready for the hurry-up offense. After they drove on us a few times, our coach (Gerry Faust) got on us on the sideline, screaming and yelling at us, and we started playing ball.”