Parker Connects With Kellen on CSUN’s Last Play to Win, 21-20

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has had a history of beating up Northridge football teams. The Mustangs had defeated the Matadors 21 times in 25 meetings before Saturday night’s game at North Campus Stadium.

And with a little more than two minutes left it looked as if No. 22 was under control.

Precious seconds were ticking away and Northridge’s Western Football Conference title chances were slipping away.

Quarterback Chris Parker then led the Matadors on an 80-yard drive capped by a dramatic six-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left as Northridge won, 21-20.

Bryan Kellen, who had one reception coming into the game, hauled in Parker’s pass over the middle on a fourth-and-goal, and Mike Doan’s extra point decided it.

Kellen, a converted defensive back, earned a starting berth when Charles Collins and Kenny Garrett, returning starters at wide receiver, were ineligible this season.

He had dropped several passes early in the season and another as late as the middle of the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game, but with 4,206 fans on the edge of their seats the sophomore from San Jose sprinted straight out and over the middle for his second touchdown catch of the game.

The victory improved Northridge’s conference record to 2-1. The Matadors are 5-1. Sacramento State (2-0) is the only WFC team unbeaten in conference. The last time Northridge won as many as five games was 1983 when the Matadors were 6-4 and co-champions of the WFC. That was also the last time Northridge had defeated San Luis Obispo.

The Matadors, who had been shut out in the second half, trailed, 20-14, and had the ball on its 20-yard line with 2:07 left in the game.

Northridge led at the half, 14-10, but San Luis Obispo had pulled close on a 48-yard field goal by Art Gonzales in the third quarter. The Mustangs went ahead on a 36-yard pass from quarterback Robert Perez to a wide-open Lance Martin late in the same period.

The winning play was brought into the huddle by Kellen, the secondary receiver, who told Parker to watch for him.

“Before the play ever started I saw I was going to be open,” Kellen said. “When he threw it, I couldn’t wait for it to get to me.”

Said Coach Bob Burt: “That was probably the biggest catch of his life.” He caught four for 47 yards on Saturday.

Parker, who had replaced starter Danny Fernandez at the start of the fourth quarter, opened the winning 11-play drive by hitting Chris Moore on passes of 10 and 19 yards. After an incompletion and a holding penalty moved the ball back to the Northridge 39, Parker found Mike Kane open for 11 yards. It was still third down and nine to go, however, and there was less than 1:30 left.

A Northridge offensive line that was missing two starters gave Parker good protection and he found Moore over the middle again for a leaping, fingertip catch 23 yards downfield to the San Luis Obispo 27.

Parker then hit tight end Brian Bowers for five yards and Kellen for 13 and a first down at the nine.

He went Moore again, but the pass fell incomplete. A short out to Kane moved the ball to the six. But on third down, Parker couldn’t find an open receiver and had to throw the ball away.

“The receiver just didn’t run the right pattern, and I figured I’d better kill the clock to give us one more chance,” said Parker, who completed 8 of 10 passes on that drive.

One last chance was enough.

The win was especially sweet for Parker, who had been ineffective in his last two outings and therefore benched. He threw for a school-record 2,658 yards last season.

“You know, I really think I like this year better, though,” Parker said. “I haven’t played well, we’re not throwing the ball that often and I’m splitting time, but we’re winning. And that’s what counts the most.”

Parker completed 11 of 17 for 122 yards without an interception. Fernandez was 6 of 15 for 122 yards with two interceptions.

Both teams put together two good offensive drives in the first half. The reason the Matadors led was that one of the Mustangs’ ended with a fumble at the Northridge 11.

Fernandez, making his first start in four weeks, moved Northridge 80 yards on eight plays after the opening kickoff. He completed all three of his passes on the drive for 56 yards, including a 19-yard lob to Kellen in the right corner of the end zone.

The key play on the drive was a 19-yard pass to Moore on a third-and-eight play.

San Luis Obispo (2-3, 1-1 in the WFC) took advantage of good field position to cut the margin to 7-3 on its second possession.

The Mustangs took over at their 40 after a 28-yard punt by Parker out of the end zone. San Luis Obispo moved the ball 14 yards on running plays, and Gonzales kicked a 44-yard field goal.

San Luis Obispo drove from its 36 to the Northridge 11 the next time it had the ball, but Jim Gleed, who picked 39 yards rushing on the march, fumbled and linebacker Reggie Wauls recovered for the Matadors.

Northridge took the lead with 1:58 left in the half on a two-yard run by Kane, who rushed for 103 yards.

Fernandez completed passes of 16 yards to LeVelle Brown and 20 to Tony Young on the seven-play, 83-yard drive. He also got credit for a 22-yard reception by Moore, although the receiver clearly bobbled the ball as he went out of bounds.

The official who made the call must have been watching Moore’s feet, which were in bounds, as he juggled the ball. Three plays later, Kane’s feet danced into the end zone for the 10th time this season.