Fann Leads CSUN to a 24-13 Win

Sports publicists beware: If your employer is an opponent of the Cal State Northridge football team, Albert Fann is reading.

Northridge’s senior tailback, inspired by words written in a press release, rushed for 181 yards and three touchdowns to lead Northridge to a 24-13 victory over Cal State Sacramento in a Western Football Conference game before 4,083 on Saturday night at North Campus Stadium.

“Turn off the Fann,” the Sacramento release said in part. The Hornets apparently don’t believe what they read.

Fann, who also read that he had been “somewhat of a disappointment this year,” ran roughshod over Sacramento for a half--and that was more than enough.

“I didn’t take it personal, but I wanted to play my game,” Fann said. “Stat-wise maybe they think I’ve been disappointing, but I don’t think so because we’re winning. I’m counting ‘Ws’ and that’s all that matters.”

Fann, last year’s offensive player of the year in the conference, entered the game fourth in the WFC in rushing, 97 yards behind Troy Mills, Sacramento’s junior tailback.

Fann won the head-to-head battle on Saturday, gaining his rushing yards in 32 carries and adding 54 yards in four pass receptions. Mills had 121 yards in 24 carries.

But, as the man said, it was the win that was important for Northridge.

The Matadors, ranked 13th in Division II, moved to 6-1 overall, 3-0 in the WFC.

Northridge is one game in front of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Southern Utah State in the WFC standings. San Luis Obispo defeated Santa Clara, 29-0, to improve to 6-1, 2-1. Southern Utah State is 2-1 in conference games and 5-3 overall after a 38-17 nonconference win over St. Mary’s.

Northridge was ahead, 21-7, and in control before the Hornets trimmed the Matadors’ lead on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Randy Payne to William Parker four minutes into the final quarter.

CSUN’s advantage was left more comfortable when nose tackle Alo Sila blocked the point-after attempt by Jim Crouch, leaving Sacramento eight points behind, 21-13.

The Northridge offense took over from there, driving from CSUN’s 20 to the Sacramento two and consuming more than eight minutes.

Abo Velasco’s 20-yard field goal with 2:55 remaining gave the Matadors their margin of victory. It also gave Velasco a share of the Northridge record for career field goals. The senior from Burbank has 31, matching Jose Ballina, CSUN’s kicker from 1972-74.

Sacramento aided Northridge on its final march when cornerback Dan Leshore was flagged for pass interference on a third-and-12 pass attempt from Matador quarterback Sherdrick Bonner to tight end George Fua.

CSUN kept the critical drive going by choosing to pass on third and one from the Hornet 37. Bonner hooked up with the Matadors’ other tight end, Don Martin, for a 31-yard gain.

Sacramento answered back, but a motion penalty negated a 39-yard touchdown pass from Payne to Parker with 1:13 left.

Given a second chance, the Matador defense forced its fourth turnover of the game--an interception by linebacker Terrell Taylor at the CSUN 22. Only seven seconds remained.

“We knew we had to force some turnovers to be successful, because we knew Sacramento was a better team than their record showed,” Taylor said. “We weren’t very happy, though, with our defense giving up too many yards rushing and receiving. Usually we just dominate, destroy.”

Sacramento outgained Northridge, 396 yards to 359. The Hornets are 3-5 overall, 1-3 in the WFC. That record, however, is deceiving since Sacramento’s schedule might be the WFC’s toughest.

With a conference championship on the line each game, Northridge isn’t taking any chances, according to safety Eric Treibatch.

“Be it Our Lady of Corvallis over on Laurel Canyon, we are not going to go in with our eyes closed,” Treibatch said.

Sacramento did manage to score a first- quarter touchdown--something CSUN’s previous six opponents had failed to do.

It came on a pass from Payne to wide receiver Brian McCullough, who covered most of the 52-yard play by himself after running a short slant pattern.

The rest of the Hornets’ offense was supplied by Mills, who gained 77 yards in the first half.

Fann more than doubled that output, rushing for 149 yards and all three Northridge touchdowns in 17 carries. And it could have been more. He had another 59-yard run called back on a holding penalty.

Much of Fann’s yardage was rolled up behind the right side of the Matador line--guard Art Espino and tackle Don Goodman.

Fann surpassed his previous season-high--136 yards last week at Southern Utah State--on a 15-yard run near the end of the half. He had runs of 35, 22 and 25 yards earlier in the half in addition to a 32-yard gain on a screen pass.

Each of Fann’s touchdowns were preceded by a longer Fann gain, but somebody appeared to be holding a string once he crossed the five yard-line.

His two-yard dive in the first quarter was set up by the 35-yard run. His second, of eight yards, came after the screen pass. His third--matching a season-high--came on a one-yard dive on the third play after a 15-yard run.