Southland Roundup : Northridge Lets No. 6 Hayward Get Away With a 25-20 Victory

For three quarters Cal State Northridge made Cal State Hayward look like the nation’s No. 6 NCAA Division II team.

Even after the Pioneers (4-0) scored 20 points in the final quarter for a 25-20 victory Saturday at Hayward, the Matadors weren’t convinced.

“I don’t know how they’re ranked sixth in the nation,” Northridge quarterback Chris Parker said. “We gave them the game. We had it and we let it go.”

The turnaround was ignited by a 62-yard kickoff return by Hayward’s Marcus Whitten after Mike Doan equalled the Northridge record with his fourth field goal that gave the Matadors (2-2) a 20-5 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Six plays later, Mike Matthews scored on a five-yard draw that cut the deficit to 20-11.

Parker threw an interception to Hayward’s Danny Brown. On Hayward’s next play, quarterback Jeff Keppert hit Kevin Conway with a 23-yard touchdown pass and, in a span of just a minute and a half, the Pioneers cut the lead to 20-18.

Midway through the final quarter, Hayward’s Lonell Conner went 36 yards on a draw play. Three plays later, Conner ran two yards for Hayward’s winning touchdown with seven minutes left.

Parker completed 28 of 53 passes, including 10 in a row, for 270 yards, but was intercepted 5 times and sacked twice.

Fresno State 24, Hawaii 24--Sophomore Barry Belli kicked a 29-yard field goal with 8:37 left, and the Bulldogs salvaged a tie with the Rainbows at Fresno.

Trailing, 24-14, early in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs (3-0-1) got back into the game on an 11-yard scoring pass from Kevin Sweeney to Anthony Mosley.

Nevada Las Vegas 14, Utah State 7--Tony Lewis and Chris Green each ran for touchdowns as the Rebels beat the Aggies in a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. game at Las Vegas.

UNLV is 2-3 overall, 1-2 in the PCAA. Utah State fell to 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the conference.

Azusa Pacific 37, La Verne 12--Christian Okoye ran for 190 yards and one touchdown to lead a running attack that amassed 395 yards at La Verne as the Cougars won their 10th straight game.

Azusa, ranked sixth in the NAIA Division II, had 565 yards in total offense, while limiting La Verne (1-2) to minus-10 yards rushing. The Cougars (4-0) have yet to allow a point in the second half this season.

U. San Diego 8, Claremont-Mudd 7--Tailback Roger Cloutier rushed for 124 yards in 27 carries at Claremont as the Toreros’ evened their record at 2-2.

San Diego linebacker Jeff Merlino sacked Claremont’s Scott Kennedy for the winning safety in the second quarter. The Stags (0-3) scored on Chris Dabrow’s six-yard touchdown run.

Cal Lutheran 34, Western New Mexico 7--Tom Bonds completed 20 of 24 passes for 271 yards and 2 touchdowns at Thousand Oaks as the Kingsmen rolled to their third victory in four games.

Whittier 14, Redlands 7--Quarterback Mike Owens had a 49-yard scoring run and Ramon Juarez ran 21 yards for another touchdown as the Poets won this SCIAC game at Redlands.

UC Davis 34, Cal Poly (SLO) 21--Junior quarterback Chris Petersen completed 14 of 19 for 213 yards and touchdown passes of 18 and 16 yards to wide receiver Randy Williams as the Aggies (2-1) beat the Mustangs (1-3) at San Luis Obispo.

Occidental 37, Pomona-Pitzer 23--Pat Guthrie completed 14 of 23 passes for 283 yards and 3 touchdowns as Oxy (3-1) beat Pomona Pitzer (0-3) in an SCIAC game at Occidental.