CAL STATE FULLERTON NOTEBOOK : Fullerton in No Hurry to Pick Between Payne, Schulte at Quarterback

There’s nothing like a good quarterback battle to spice up training camp, but at Cal State Fullerton, where senior Paul Schulte and redshirt freshman Terry Payne are fighting for the job, the Titans could go several weeks into the season before a permanent starter is determined.

“We would feel good having either of them in a game situation right now,” Titan offensive coordinator Bill Wentworth said. “I told them I’d name a starter by end of this week, but I’d be shocked if both didn’t play in the first two or three games. Our intent is to see how they do in games and take it from there.”

Schulte (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) and Payne (6-4, 185) are close in size, and Wentworth says they are comparable in arm strength and quickness. And experience isn’t much of a factor.

Though he’s a senior, Schulte hasn’t played a full season since his senior year at Woodlake High School in 1985. Schulte, who spent the last two seasons backing up record-setting quarterback Dan Speltz, has thrown three passes in Division I football, completing two for 24 yards.

That’s only three more Division I passes than Payne, who completed 133 of 241 attempts for 2,145 yards and 25 touchdowns at Hemet High in 1988.

But if there is one factor that might give one an edge, it’s Schulte’s understanding of the Fullerton offense.

The Titans have a quick-passing attack that requires many fast decisions by the quarterback, who often has three or four receivers and a variety of timing patterns from which to choose.

Schulte has little game experience running the offense, but he has had three seasons to absorb it all--he was a Titan redshirt in 1987--whereas Payne has been around for only one season.

“Schulte has the ability to read defenses and is strong in the decision-making process,” Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy said. “Payne is a redshirt freshman, but he’s still a freshman. Right now, I’d have to say Schulte is our guy. But I could change my mind tomorrow.”

Big-time boo-boo: Robert Taylor, a junior defensive lineman for the Titans, learned Saturday how not to make friends and influence coaches. During the scrimmage, Payne rolled to his right, looking to pass, and ran out of room at the sideline when Taylor popped the quarterback.

Before Taylor could even think of saying, “Oops,” Wentworth had sprinted over, jumped on Taylor and chewed him out for hitting his own quarterback in a controlled scrimmage.

“I realized it was the first scrimmage and the defensive guys are excited, but I wanted to let him know we didn’t like that,” Wentworth said. “I think I got the message across.”

Back in service: The Titans will un retire new baseball Coach Augie Garrido’s jersey, No. 16, at a 4 p.m. ceremony today in the president’s conference room on the ninth floor of Langsdorf Hall. President Milton A. Gordon and Athletic Director Ed Carroll will also be on hand.

Garrido, whose jersey was retired in 1987, was Fullerton’s coach from 1973-87 and led the Titans to College World Series championships in 1979 and 1984. He spent three seasons at Illinois before returning to Fullerton last week to replace Larry Cochell.

Titan Notes

Veteran Southern California broadcaster Geoff Witcher will replace John Rebenstorf as the radio play-by-play voice of the Fullerton football team this season. All Titan games are carried live on KMNY (1600-AM). Witcher has been a regular announcer on Prime Ticket, working USC, UCLA, Pacific-10 and Big West Conference football around assignments with the Lakers and Dodgers. He also was the host of SportsTalk on KABC radio. Rebenstorf will be doing color commentary for UCLA broadcasts on KMPC this fall but will return to Fullerton for basketball and baseball seasons. . . . Fullerton will make only one television appearance this season on Sportschannel, which will televise eight Big West Conference games. The Titans’ Sept. 29 game at Fresno State will be carried live at 7 p.m. The two-time defending-champion Bulldogs will make five Sportschannel appearances. . . . Reggie Yarbrough, who rushed for 985 yards and scored 23 touchdowns to lead Bakersfield College to an 11-0 record in 1988, began practicing with the Titans last week. Yarbrough’s community college transcripts were accepted by Fullerton, and Yarbrough joined the team in time to participate in Saturday’s scrimmage. He is expected to push starter Deon Thomas for playing time. “He gives us quality depth at the position,” Titan Coach Gene Murphy said. “They’re both good-looking running backs.”