Quarterback of the Week at CSUN Is . . .

For Northridge fans who are wondering who the quarterback of the week will be against St. Mary’s on Saturday, the answer is Chris Parker.

After two straight poor performances, Parker was benched last week in favor of Danny Fernandez. He entered last Saturday night’s game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at the start of the fourth quarter but completed only 3 of 6 passes and couldn’t put together a drive. That is until the final 2:07 of the game.

With CSUN trailing, 20-14, and time slipping away, Parker connected on 8 of 11 passes and drove the Matadors 80 yards on 11 plays. On a fourth-and-goal play with 10 seconds left, he hit Bryan Kellen with a six-yard touchdown pass. Mike Doan’s extra point gave CSUN a 21-20 victory.

Parker’s performance on the drive earned him the start in the homecoming game this week, but Fernandez also is expected to play.

“It would be kind of silly for us not to play them both,” Coach Bob Burt said. “The only game we played with one, we lost.”

Northridge (5-1) is ranked 12th in the NCAA Division II and is off to its best start since 1976 when the Matadors also won five of their first six games. The Matadors’ only loss this year came against Southern Utah, when Parker played the whole game.