Velasco Kick Gives CSUN Share of WFC Championship : College football: Defense stifles Santa Clara, setting up Matadors’ seventh consecutive victory.

With one sweep of his right leg, Abo Velasco turned what could have been the most forgettable night of his collegiate career into something memorable for everyone associated with the Cal State Northridge football team.

With 29 seconds left, Velasco--who had missed his five previous field-goal attempts Saturday night--punched a 34-yard kick through the uprights to give Northridge a 10-7 comeback win over Santa Clara and at least a share of the Western Football Conference championship.

Velasco’s kick climaxed 2 minutes 12 seconds of big-play offense by the ninth-ranked Matadors, who spent the previous 57 minutes-plus moving futilely up and down the field.

And nobody, but nobody, felt worse about it than Velasco, a senior who attended Burbank High.

Velasco missed twice from 46 yards. His other misses were from 38, 31 and 32 yards. Dare one mention the point-after that narrowly skidded over the crossbar?

“I thought it would never come,” Velasco said of the field goal that gave CSUN its seventh consecutive victory after a season-opening loss. “I was out of sync on the first two kicks, but after the second it really became a confidence thing.”

Oddly enough it was after miss No. 4 that he received a big boost.

“I don’t think there was a guy on the team that didn’t say something to me,” Velasco said. “Everybody said, ‘You’re going to win this game for us.’ They never lost faith in me. They picked me up when I was down.”

Northridge is 4-0 in the WFC, a game ahead of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which defeated Southern Utah State, 42-21.

The Matadors--who outgained Santa Clara, 355 yards to 51--will play host to San Luis Obispo this Saturday at North Campus Stadium.

“That’s what football should be--the last two weeks of the season and the two best teams playing for the championship,” CSUN Coach Bob Burt said.

Velasco’s kick was the 32nd of his career, a Northridge record. He surpassed Jose Ballina, who had 31 between 1972 and ’74.

He never would have had the chance but for a few big plays down the stretch by Matador quarterback Sherdrick Bonner.

Bonner, a senior, was the only player in the stadium who could relate to Velasco’s misfortune. He lost two fumbles and threw two interceptions in the first half.

But when Northridge finally scored, it was Bonner who turned in big plays back to back .

Trailing, 7-0, CSUN had the ball at its 44 with 2:21 on the clock. Bonner busted loose on a 42-yard scramble, then, on the next play, he hooked up with Billy Nealy for a 14-yard touchdown.

Then came perhaps the night’s oddest call. Northridge went for the PAT to tie, even though the Matadors still would have needed a victory over San Luis Obispo to claim the title outright.

Velasco made it--barely. And the Northridge defense, at its stingiest best, got the offense the ball again with 1:30 left.

Unfortunately for the Matadors, tailback Albert Fann (134 yards rushing), who had sustained a twisted right ankle, stayed on the sideline.

“He was beat up,” Burt said. “And since we were going to pass anyway . . .”

A 22-yard pass from Bonner to Anthony Harris put Velasco in range.

Bonner, whose touchdown throw to Nealy was only his second of the season, finished 16 of 33 for 182 yards.

Craig Bergman, Santa Clara’s 6-foot-6 senior quarterback, was five of 23 for 58 yards. That pretty much summed up the Bronco offense.

Bergman was sacked seven times. Kenny Wallace, one of CSUN’s outside linebackers, was credited with 5 1/2 sacks.

Aron Wise--who entered the game as the WFC’s leading rusher, averaging 125 yards a game-- was held to 35 yards in 21 carries.

The Broncos led at the half despite these facts:

* Santa Clara had 20 yards on offense.

* Northridge had six quarterback sacks--4 1/2 by Wallace--for losses totaling 51 yards.

* The Northridge offense, led by Fann’s 79 rushing yards, totaled 125 yards.

Yet Santa Clara led only 7-0.

The reason was Bonner’s four first-half turnovers.

The final miscue--Bonner’s third in the second quarter alone--helped put Santa Clara on the board.

With 3:25 left in the half, Bonner tried to hit wide receiver Joe Rice on an out pattern. But Rice ran out and up.

And as Rice turned upfield and Bonner released the ball, Bronco cornerback Mark Modeste stepped up to receive the ball. He already was headed toward the goal line, and he covered the final 12 yards easily.

Tobin Douglas’ point-after kick was blocked at the line of scrimmage but nevertheless tumbled over the crossbar, putting Santa Clara ahead, 7-0.