UC Davis Puts the Boot to CSUN Playoff Hopes

Albert Fann did not play in Saturday’s nonconference showdown between Cal State Northridge and UC Davis, but he did come appropriately dressed.

Fann, CSUN’s leading rusher and offensive catalyst, was out because of a bruised thigh. He strolled the sideline in uniform, wearing a baseball cap instead of his helmet.

It proved to be an intelligent choice of headgear by the freshman, who took advantage of the hat’s sun visor and joined a crowd of 5,607 for a day spent gazing skyward at the punts of Davis’ Scott Lindquist and CSUN’s Trent Morgan who combined for 22 punts totaling 924 yards.

It was Lindquist, along with quarterback Todd Sloat and a stunting, sack-minded Davis defense that blitzed CSUN, 28-0, and quashed the Matadors hopes for a Division II playoff berth.

CSUN (6-3, 3-1), ranked 17th, went into the game tied for second place in the Western Football Conference. The Matadors have conference games left against WFC leader Portland State and Cal State Sacramento, but they needed to beat the Aggies to improve their chances of landing one of eight national playoff berths.

Davis (6-2, 4-0), which already has clinched its 17th consecutive Northern California Athletic Conference title, boosted its playoff chances.

Along with their playoff hopes, the Matadors also may have lost nose guard Dennis McConnaughy and linebacker Sean O’Brien, both of whom suffered sprained knees.

But CSUN’s biggest injury of the season was the one suffered by Fann in last week’s 7-6 win over Santa Clara. The Matadors rushed for only 31 yards in 41 carries without Fann.

“I tried to loosen my leg up before the game today, but I couldn’t do it,” Fann said. “I don’t like standing on the sidelines like that. It’s the worst feeling in the world.”

Some of Fann’s teammates might disagree. Start with CSUN quarterback Rob Huffman, who completed just 4 of 15 passes for 49 yards and was sacked 6 times for minus-50 yards.

Then there’s CSUN cornerback Reggie Williams, who was burned by wide receiver Jack Wildermuth for two touchdown passes.

And how about Morgan, who tied a school record by punting 13 times for 562 yards? Morgan averaged 43.2 yards a kick, but he was overshadowed by Lindquist, who helped destroy the CSUN offense by booming unreturnable kicks deep into Matador territory.

“We played well in all departments,” said Davis Coach Jim Sochor, whose team won its 30th consecutive regular-season home game. “But our punting was extraordinary.”

Lindquist finished with 9 kicks for 362 yards and a 40.2-yard average. His most important punt came on the game’s first possession--a 50-yarder that bounced out of bounds inside the CSUN one-yard line. It was a bad omen for the Matadors, who would start five of their first seven possessions inside their own 20 courtesy of Lindquist.

“We started right out with a goal-line offense,” Huffman said. “I guess that just typified how the game was going to go.”

CSUN was outgained, 396-87, and ran what the Davis band loudly branded The Matador Shuffle, as in “First down, second down, third down, punt!”

Meanwhile, Sloat was making people forget graduated quarterback Chris Petersen, who led Division II quarterbacks in passing percentage (70%) last season. Sloat completed 12 of 17 passes for 221 yards. The 6-2, 180-pound senior used play-action fakes to freeze Matador defenders and threw touchdown passes of 10, 12, 22 and 42 yards.

“I had great time to throw and we mixed the pass and the run real well to keep them off balance,” Sloat said. “It was pretty easy with that kind of protection.”

Davis scored its first touchdown midway through the first quarter on a 10-yard pass from Sloat to fullback Jason Weatherby, capping a 48-yard, five-play drive.

The Aggies increased the lead to 14-0 a little less than five minutes later when Sloat threw a 12-yard pass into the left corner of the end zone where Wildermuth leaped over Williams for the catch.

The Matadors had a chance to make a game of it in the second quarter when they drove from their own 24 to the Davis 27. The drive, however, stalled and when Abo Velasco missed a 44-yard field-goal attempt, the Matadors’ greatest threat of the game had ended.

Davis added two more scores on Sloat touchdown passes to Wildermuth and Mike Sellar in the third quarter.

“We couldn’t get anything going,” CSUN Coach Bob Burt said. “Albert Fann makes a difference every time he plays but that’s not the reason we lost. We got outplayed. Period.”