Maybe the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference should look into hiring some air traffic controllers.

The air is being filled with footballs in this league like never before,

Three PSAC quarterbacks — Zach Zulli at Shippensburg, Peter Lalich at California and Kevin Morton at Kutztown — are averaging more than 320 yards passing per game. A fourth league QB, Liam Nadler at Gannon, is just under 300 at 295.9 yards per game passing.

Seven PSAC signal-callers are averaging more than 225 yards passing per game. What gives?

“It’s the trend throughout college football,” Slippery Rock University coach George Mihalik said said. “Everyone’s going to the spread offense, the no-huddle. High school offenses throw the ball more than ever before.

“Many quarterbacks are coming out of high school well-versed in throwing the football. That’s never been the case.”

Zulli is averaging 389 yards passing per game and threw for nine touchdowns in a win over Kutztown last week. Lalich averages 357 yards passing per game, Morton 325.

“It’s easier for a team to get a quarterback, running back and wide receiver and throw the ball than it is to find seven quality offensive linemen and be able to run it consistently.” Mihalik said.

Indeed, running backs are used to catch flare passes out of the backfield more than to accept handoffs these days. Short passes have become running games for most teams.

The longtime theory that three things can happen when you throw the football and two of them are bad? Forget it.

Three things can happen and two of them are good. The receiver could catch the ball — or the defense could be called for pass interference.

On virtually any incomplete pass at any level of football these days, the receiver can be seen reaching down and feigning pulling a penalty flag out of his pocket.

Receivers must practice that move, they have it down so pat.

The pass in football isn’t just a passing fancy.

It’s here to stay.

It represents instant offense. Why go 3 yards and a cloud of dust when you can go 60 yards on a post pattern?

SRU graduate Rick Magulick was a plodding running back of 15 years ago, good for a steady 1,000 yards by pounding the middle of a defense.

His kind are virtually extinct.

People in the stands love offense. Players on the field love making big plays. A quarterback has never been born who doesn’t like to throw the football.

A 56-49 game will be talked about a lot longer than a 10-3 game will be.

The gridiron today is all about artificial turf, speedy receivers and aerial assaults.

The mud games are gone. So are the mudders.

Rick Magulick, we hardly knew ye.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle