Helpful CSUN Ends Fullerton Losing Streak

As the clock ticked down, Cal State Northridge edged closer to making a name for itself in the Division II football ranks. But the pass into the end zone that would have given the Matadors the chance to upset Division I Cal State Fullerton was intercepted by Titan cornerback Darrius Watson.

Its last drive thwarted with 1 minute 25 seconds to go, Northridge fell, 17-10, before a crowd of 2,921 Saturday at Santa Ana Stadium.

Paul Peters, the intended receiver, ran a 16-yard route that took him inside, then toward the corner of the end zone. Northridge quarterback Marty Fisher saw Peters inside of Watson and threw the ball. By the time the ball reached Watson, however, he was inside of Peters.

“It was a bad read,” Fisher said. “I saw his movement and I went with his movement. It was just a bad throw.”

It was one of two interceptions thrown by Fisher, who completed 19 of 29 passes for a career-high 183 yards.

“Everything was going right,” Northridge Coach Bob Burt said. “But (Watson) made a great play. Marty had been throwing super all the way down the field.”

Indeed, Northridge (1-2) had other opportunities.

Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy admitted as much. “We won ugly,” he said. “And you know what? That’s fine. I love it.”

It was ugly from Fullerton’s standpoint because the Titans managed a school-record low 28 yards in passing. And it was fine because the victory snapped a 13-game losing streak that was the longest in Division I-A. The Titans’ saving grace was a running game that yielded 138 yards for Reggie Yarbrough and 133 yards for Arthur Davis.

On the first Fullerton touchdown drive Northridge committed two penalties, and on the Titans’ second drive Davis broke loose on a 41-yard run that didn’t end until cornerback Tremelle Barnes knocked him out of bounds at the CSUN 2.

“I’m ticked off,” Barnes said. “I’m really ticked off. “I don’t mind losing to a team that is better than us but it is a different situation when you lose to a team that isn’t. No way are they better.”

Penalties totaling 70 yards were a hindrance to CSUN, particularly a clip away from the play that nullified Peters’ 95-yard punt return with 10 seconds left in the third quarter that would have pulled the Matadors into a 14-14 tie.

“My heart just dropped,” Peters said. “I wanted it back.”

The other electrifying Northridge play stood. After a first-quarter interception by Ken Vaughn that gave the Matadors the ball at the Fullerton 33, wide receiver Cornell Ward took a reverse and fired a pass to Peters, who caught it in the end zone despite tight coverage by cornerback B.B. Hudson.

“When you don’t use razzle-dazzle on a steady diet it has a better chance of working,” Burt said.

Ward, a high school and junior college quarterback, led Peters perfectly on the pass. “We practiced it all week and I had it on the money all week,” Ward said.

Fullerton responded on its ensuing possession with a 13-play, 66-yard drive capped by Davis’ 10-yard touchdown run. Along with runs of 14 and 11 yards by Yarbrough, the Titans gained 25 yards on two Northridge penalties. The first was a late hit with dire consequences. Instead of punting, Fullerton wound up with a first down at the CSUN 49.

The Titans took the lead with two seconds left in the half on a two-yard touchdown run by Davis and increased it to 17-10 on a 44-yard field goal by Phil Nevin with 7:10 to play.

Matador notes

In the first half, Scott Norman played center for CSUN in place of Skip Allum, who suffered a sprained knee last week. After tackle Jack Montes went down with a sprained knee in the second half, Allum went in at center and Norman moved to tackle. . . . Linebacker Ken Vaughn suffered a dislocation of his ring finger midway through the second quarter but was able to return. He finished with eight tackles, including three for losses totaling seven yards, and made an interception after tackle Alo Sila tipped a pass. . . . Linebacker O.J. Ojomoh led CSUN in tackles for the third consecutive week with 16, 14 of them solo.