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Cal State Northridge (2-0) vs. San Francisco State (0-3)

At San Francisco State 1 p.m.

CSUN Coach Bob Burt has spent the past week trying to convince his players to take San Francisco State seriously. Easier said than done. The Gators have been outscored 151-27 in losing their first three games. Northridge, meanwhile, is ranked 15th in Division II. But Burt is cautious. “It’s hard to win on the road. I don’t care what sport, at what level, or who the opponent is,” Burt said. “Winning as a favorite on the road is no easy task.” Last week, the Matadors defeated a highly regarded Cal State Hayward team, 20-7, as Mike Kane rushed for 133 yards and the defense was not scored on. Chris Parker, who threw for 350 yards in a 41-17 win over San Francisco State last season, will start for the Matadors at quarterback. He is locked in a battle with Danny Fernandez for the chance to start when Northridge plays its Western Football Conference game next week against Southern Utah State. Fernandez, who started against Hayward, will also play. San Francisco State lost, 51-21, to St. Mary’s last week, despite 165 yards and two touchdowns rushing by tailback Bernard Moore. Defensively, San Francisco hasn’t been able to stop the run, however. Last week, two St. Mary’s running backs combined for 265 yards on only 31 carries.

Cal Lutheran (2-0) vs. Cal State Hayward (1-1)

At Cal State Hayward 1 p.m.

Cal Lutheran lost to Hayward last season, 37-15, and Coach Bob Shoup is looking to his defense to prevent another loss. A year ago, the Pioneers scored 24 points in the second quarter to lead, 24-3, at halftime. In the fourth quarter, the teams brawled and three players were ejected. Said Shoup: “It was the worst game of the season.” A year later, Shoup believes his team will win. The Kingsmen defense has performed well, limiting Sonoma State to 13 yards rushing last week. The defensive line and linebackers, led by Mike Miller at tackle, have been particularly effective. Quarterback Tom Bonds, who completed 20 of 25 passes last week, will lead a quick-pass offense against Hayward. The Kingsmen, though, will be without tight end Darren Gottschalk, who sprained his ankle in the Sonoma game. The Pioneers, who lost to Cal State Northridge last Saturday, 20-7, will go without running back LaMar Kirkland, who broke his collarbone during the first quarter against the Matadors. Hayward still has Marcus Whitten, who has gained 140 yards on 19 carries, and Mike Matthews, who scored a touchdown in last year’s romp over the Kingsmen.

Long Beach City (2-0) vs. Moorpark (1-1)

At Moorpark 1:30 p.m.

In its Western State Conference opener today, Moorpark (1-1) faces its stiffest challenge yet in Long Beach City, rated 19th in the state by the JC Athletic Bureau and seventh in the Southland poll of sports information directors. Moorpark’s starting quarterback will be Dan Nagelmann, a freshman from Thousand Oaks High, but Steve Armstrong and Steve Haddad may also play. Nagelmann has completed 13 of 24 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns through two games. Haddad threw a 72-yard touchdown pass last week. Moorpark’s strength, however, is its ground game. The Raiders are averaging 280 rushing yards a game, led by Robert Davis, who has 193 yards on 18 carries. Long Beach, which was 1-8-1 last season, has already surpassed last season’s victory total with wins over Rio Hondo and Bakersfield. “We scouted Moorpark in their first two games and it’s obvious we’re going to have to stop their running game,” said third-year Long Beach Coach Will Shaw.

Valley (0-2) vs. College of the Desert (1-1)

At College of the Desert 7:30 p.m.

Although his team was picked by at least one football magazine to win the Southern California Conference, Valley Coach Chuck Ferrero warned that it would take time for his team to jell. With 17 transfers from Pierce and only one returning starter on defense, Ferrero is still waiting. The Monarchs are still searching for an offense as they head into today’s conference-opener after losses to Ventura and Glendale. Through two games, Valley is averaging only 262 yards per game in total offense. On defense, the Monarchs are allowing an average of 333 yards per game. Freshman Dondre Bausley has been Valley’s most consistent weapon on offense, rushing for 160 on 24 carries and adding 53 more on 3 receptions. Josh Davis has completed almost 60% of his passes (16 of 27), but for only 143 yards, an average of 8.9 per completion.