Northridge Loses WFC Title in Last Minute : Sacramento Wins, 21-17, With Pass to Klinkhammer

There were long faces in the Cal State Northridge locker room Saturday, the result of a title that got away.

Cal State Sacramento defeated Northridge, 21-17, for the championship of the Western Football Conference before a crowd of 3,400 at Hornet Field.

The Hornets won it on a 13-yard pass from freshman quarterback Drew Wyant to Lin Klinkhammer with 28 seconds left in the game.

The touchdown was actually anticlimactic. It was already apparent that Sacramento would either win the title or share it with Northridge.

The key play had taken place three downs earlier, when on third and 16 from the Northridge 45, Wyant connected with Mark Young on a 39-yard pass. An incredibly ugly 39-yard pass.

Wyant, who was making his first start of the season, had been allowed to throw only 10 passes to that point. And on this play he showed why.

He dropped back and heaved a rainbow pass in the direction of Young. Northridge safety Dan Coleman appeared to be in position for an easy interception, but he lost sight of the ball and Young came back to make the catch on the six.

“I saw him throw it, but when I turned to look for the receiver, I took my eye off the ball and the receiver made a great play,” Coleman said.

Tailback Don Hair was dropped for a three-yard loss on the next play and Mark Dozier and Dester Stowers sacked Wyant on the play after, backing up the ball to the 13.

Wyant said the Hornets decided to throw it into the end zone on third down, figuring they could always tie the game and be co-champions if the pass was incomplete. And Klinkhammer was wide open in the right corner of the end zone.

Sacramento (6-4-1, 5-1 in the WFC) came from behind in all of its conference victories.

Wyant had started in place of Phil Hickey (injured thumb). How did he feel about throwing a championship-winning pass in his first start?

“Overwhelmed,” he said.

The opposite could be said of Northridge.

It was a disappointing way to end a season in which Northridge tied a school record for most wins in a season one year after finishing tied for last in the WFC.

“It hurts a lot,” said senior nose tackle and co-captin Darrell McIntyre. “But it’s comforting for the seniors that we went out winners. No matter what anyone says. We came a long way in a year.”

Northridge finished 8-3 overall, 4-2 and second place in the WFC. The Matadors were 4-7 and 1-4 last season.

“I feel bad for our players, especially the seniors,” said first-year Coach Bob Burt. “But I don’t feel bad about our season. I still think this team is probably the best that school has ever seen. Eight wins and three losses is a good season for anyone. We just didn’t win a championship.”

It was Sacramento’s first conference title since 1966.

The Hornets were unbeaten at home this season. All four of their home wins came in WFC games.

Sacramento beat Northridge at its own game--ball control. The Matadors were out-rushed, 297-185, for only the second time.

Hair, a sophomore, had 133 yards on 18 carries. His outside running was complemented by the inside work of fullback Rob Harrison, who had 155 yards on 23 carries.

Tailback Mike Kane had 155 yards on 26 carries for Northridge. He finished with a conference-record 1,565 yards rushing, and a school-record 3,572 yards and 28 touchdowns in his career.

Kane was contained in the second half on 44 yards as the Matadors were shut out during the final two periods for the first time.

Northridge led, 17-14, at the half, but the Hornets could have led if Wyant hadn’t fumbled a snap at the Matador one-yard line with only 44 seconds left. Dozier recovered for Northridge.

The Hornets were last in the conference in turnover ratio at minus-7 going into the game. They lost two fumbles Saturday but also intercepted Northridge.

Sacramento dropped the ball twice on the game-winning drive, but officials called both plays dead.

The game never would not have been jeopardy if the Matadors had played the second half the way they played the first.

Kane scored on a 39-yard burst off left tackle on the Matadors’ second play from scrimmage.

Sacramento tied the score on a two-yard run by Hair with 2:17 left in the second quarter. Hair’s run capped a 13-play, 74-yard drive--all of the yardage on the ground.

But Northridge answered with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Chris Parker to Chris Moore to lead, 14-7. Parker, under a heavy rush, managed to dump it to Moore near the 20, where the 5-8 junior faked out one defender and broke a tackle at the 10 to take it in.

Northridge stretched its advantage to 17-7 with 5:43 left in the half as Mike Doan connected on a 36-yard field goal to cap a 16-play drive.

Sacramento quickly came back to cut the margin to three, going 74 yards on five plays--again, all rushing--on its next possession. Harrison ran 31 yards over left tackle for the touchdown.

The Matadors failed on a fake field goal of 38 yards early in the first quarter. The ball was snapped low to Kane, the up-back, who bobbled the ball before throwing up a desperation pass that was caught by Northridge’s Louis Murino far enough for a first down.

At least it would have been a first down if Murino wasn’t a 6-6, 277-pound offensive guard.

The play was important because if Doan had made the kick, Burt might have elected to let him try a 48-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter. It would have been Doan’s longest attempt of the season, but he was 3 for 3 from 47 yards. If he had made both kicks, Northridge would have had 23 points.

Northridge had been a team of chance all season. No reason to change in a championship game.

Said Burt: “We were trying to do something that nobody thought we could do. We just came up four points short.”