CSUN Finds Lost Offense in 45-27 Win

In its highest-scoring effort since 1988, the sleepy Cal State Northridge offense awoke with a start Saturday night and pounded Santa Clara, 45-27, before 4,390 at North Campus Stadium.

It was an unexpected explosion from a team that had averaged just 12.2 points in its five previous games. Northridge (3-3, 1-0 in the Western Football Conference) led by as many as 24 points.

It could have been worse for the Broncos (4-3, 0-2): CSUN misfired on three field-goal attempts and fell short of the 48 points it scored Sept. 10, 1988, against San Francisco State. “We finally got it together offensively,” CSUN Coach Bob Burt said. “I knew it would come.”

Matador quarterback Marty Fisher completed 15 of 24 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns, ending a three-game span without a touchdown pass.

The CSUN running game was even better. A revamped offensive line opened the holes for a season-high 292 yards in 53 carries. The season average had been 77.4 yards a game.

“The offensive line really wanted it tonight,” said tailback Bill Harris, who finished with a season-high 123 yards in 22 carries.

The offense roared to life after an inauspicious beginning--two fumbles by Harris. The first one set up a 12-yard touchdown catch by Randy Stark that gave Santa Clara a 7-0 lead with 10 minutes 25 seconds left in the first quarter.

Paul Peters put Northridge on the scoreboard with a school-record and WFC-record 96-yard punt return for a touchdown that tied the score, 7-7, with 5:58 left in the first quarter. The return broke Nery Watson’s 1973 school record of 87 yards and the WFC mark of 77 yards set in 1987 by Van Velarde of Portland State.

Earlier this season, Peters had a 95-yard punt return nullified by a clipping penalty. This time Peters took the ball on the right side of the field, burst through a tiny hole past two defenders then cut left and upfield. Peters credited Rodney Banks, Kevin Carmichael and Vincent Johnson with key blocks.

Less than two minutes later, the Matadors scored on a wide receiver reverse option. Tailback Jonathan Campbell took the handoff from Fisher and gave it to Cornell Ward. Ward, a former quarterback, lofted a 34-yard pass to Billy Nealy, who caught it at the one and backed into the end zone to give the Matadors a 14-7 lead.

Against Cal State Fullerton earlier this season, Ward and Peters connected on a similar play for identical yardage.

The Matadors increased their lead to 21-7 on a four-yard touchdown run by fullback Jim Warren, who was making his first carry in a CSUN uniform. Warren, a transfer from Orange Coast College, missed the first four games of the season while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery.

The Northridge defense gave the offense great field position throughout the first half. On one rare occasion when that was not the case, CSUN marched 84 yards to take a 28-7 lead.

Warren’s 20-yard run highlighted the drive and Harris’ six-yard touchdown catch capped it.

Santa Clara answered with an 80-yard drive to make it 28-14, but the Matadors used the final 1:07 before intermission to move into position for a 29-yard field goal by Dan Eastman for a 31-14 advantage. The key play of the drive was Fisher’s career-high 31-yard run.

CSUN picked up where it left off on its first possession of the third quarter. A 43-yard punt return by Tremelle Barnes, a season-high 41-yard run by Harris and a nine-yard touchdown catch by Nealy gave CSUN its biggest lead, 38-14, with 12:53 left in the period.