CSUN Pulls Out a 31-28 Victory Over Central State
Chalk up another statistic for the circular file.
Up until two weeks ago, Central (Okla.) State had a 59-7-1 record over a 12-season span when leading at the half.
That record is now 59-9-1. And 0-1 in the past day during games in which it led in the final 1:20.
Cal State Northridge drove 59 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the final minute Saturday for a 31-28 victory over Central State before a crowd of 3,050 at North Campus Stadium.
Sherdrick Bonner, CSUN’s quarterback who spent much of the game either on his back or scrambling for his life, hit Anthony Harris with a 17-yard scoring pass with 15 seconds left to pull out the win for the Matadors (2-2).
Just following directions, he said afterward.
“(Harris) signaled to me to run a fade route and I caught his signal,” Bonner said.
Indeed, the final drive was a minute-long Bonner-at-the-Improv.
CSUN’s winning march started at its own 41 with only 80 seconds remaining. Bonner passed to Albert Fann for six yards, then scrambled for six more and a first down at the Central State 47.
But after a nine-yard loss on a sack and an imcomplete pass, the Matadors were facing third and 19 at their own 44.
No problem for Bonner, as the cool junior found Tony Young over the middle for a 29-yard gain.
After another incomplete pass, Bonner scrambled for three yards, then hit Young for five more on the Central State 19.
That set up a fourth and two and Bonner again called his own number, diving for a first down.
On the next play, he found Harris in the right corner of the end zone.
Abo Velasco, who made three field goals and was perfect after touchdowns, added the extra point for the final margin.
“They have a helluva team,” said Fann, CSUN’s tailback who emerged battered and bruised after rushing for a game-high 137 yards in 25 carries. “They’re the fastest team we’ve played against.”
The Bronchos led at the half, 21-10, but lost that advantage in the third quarter when CSUN rallied to tie. They fell behind with less than four minutes remaining, then went ahead on a 40-yard pass from Ben Morrison to Glen Braxton with 1:25 left.
Fann’s second touchdown of the game, a three-yard run, tied the score, 21-21, with 3:24 left in the third quarter.
It was set up by a spectacular interception by Preston Hayslette, who pulled in a pass that was deflected by Clayton Bamberg, CSUN’s safety, at the Central State 38.
Terry West, the Bronchos’ tight end, sustained what later was diagnosed as a broken neck on the play. He and teammate James Caldwell both went for Morrison’s pass, along with Bamberg, causing a collision.
West was taken off the field by ambulance and driven to Northridge Medical Center.
The interception was one of five Central State turnovers.
CSUN’s play was also sloppy. The Matadors fumbled three times--all in the first half--and were penalized 11 times for 85 yards.
Central State converted two fumbles into touchdowns in a span of 1:16 during the second quarter.
