Fann Drives CSUN to 24-13 Win

How valuable is Albert Fann to the Cal State Northridge football team?

So valuable that he was asked to be a sideline spectator while school and conference rushing records were still within sprinting distance.

A full-scale brawl--one that involved more than 100 players and coaches--which took place with 2:03 left in the game succeeded where Cal State Sacramento failed all game long.

It stopped CSUN’s junior tailback cold.

No, Fann wasn’t injured in the melee. And just to make sure he remained uninjured, the Matador coaching staff found a nice, safe place for him next to the training table.

Besides, Fann had long since delivered a knockout blow of his own.

He rushed for two touchdowns and a career-high 251 yards in 28 carries to lead Northridge to a 24-13 Western Football Conference win over Sacramento at Hornet Stadium before 2,479.

Fann’s effort fell a yard short of Tom Bonnell’s school record set against Oregon Tech in 1972. He was 17 shy of the WFC mark held by Rob Harrison of Sacramento, who ran for 268 against Southern Utah in 1986.

“I knew I was gaining the yards,” Fann said. “I just had no idea how much. I was just trying to run hard.”

Fann gained 190 yards in 19 second-half carries, including several big gains on misdirection plays.

“He’s just a great back--the best we’ve seen all year,” said Bob Mattos, Sacramento’s coach.

“He carried them in the second half. We’d get them back in a hole and he’d carry it right out. He broke our back.”

And in the process destroyed what slim hope the Hornets held of gaining a playoff spot. Sacramento ended its season 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the WFC.

Northridge’s win snapped a three-game losing streak and evened the Matadors’ record at 5-5, 2-2 in conference.

“We had nothing left to go for, so we just said to ourselves, ‘We’re not going to go out with a losing record,’ ” said CSUN linebacker Preston Hayslette.

“Being a senior, I want something to be proud of.”

It was Hayslette’s interception and 22-yard return that touched off the fight near midfield that emptied both benches.

Tony Young, a senior receiver, was the only Northridge player injured in the brawl, catching a fist that bloodied and closed his left eye.

Young also caught five passes for 106 yards to lead Matador receivers.

Sherdrick Bonner, with two interceptions in the first half, bounced back to complete 12 of 27 for 159 yards, including a four-yard touchdown to tight end Rod Shinko with 2:44 left that sealed the Matadors’ victory.

Northridge, ranked last in the WFC in offense, gained 476 yards against Sacramento, 286 on the ground.

Fann also had four catches for 58 yards, 41 in three kickoff returns and, for good measure, completed a 31-yard pass that set up one of his touchdown runs. He had a hand--or foot--in 381 of Northridge’s yards.

“Everything was working,” said Fann, who has 1,195 rushing yards this season.

“The line was blocking hard and we had the passing game going, too.”