In a Reversal, CSUN Wide Receiver Ward Earns Raves as Passer : College football: Former high school quarterback takes advantage of trick plays to throw for five touchdowns.

The first time senior Cornell Ward threw a touchdown pass for Cal State Northridge, it was a thing of beauty. A rare beauty, it appeared.

Surely in this age of technology, word would get out. Film would be exchanged. Coaches would be forewarned that if the Matadors ran a reverse that Ward--the wide receiver--likely would pull up and throw a pass.

But forewarned is not necessarily forearmed.

Since he surprised Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 21 with a 34-yard option pass to Paul Peters, Ward has thrown four more touchdown passes.

“If it is on the money, it’s gonna work regardless of what they’ve seen or what they try to do,” Ward said. “It wasn’t like they blew a coverage.”

Indeed, on three of the five touchdown passes, the receivers were closely covered.

With five completions in six attempts--totaling 187 yards--Ward has a quarterback rating of 620.1. In contrast, Division I leader Elvis Grbac of Michigan has a rating of 174.5. “Anybody in the country would like to have that percentage and that production,” Northridge Coach Bob Burt said. “I’m really pleased with his efforts.”

Incredibly, Ward’s total of five touchdown passes exceeds the number thrown by Sherdrick Bonner, last season’s quarterback, in 10 games. It also is only one fewer than that of Marty Fisher, this season’s starter.

Ward’s most recent passing strike, a 24-yard aerial to Adam McKinney, shook up Portland State last Saturday before the Matadors fell, 38-13. With Northridge trailing, 14-0, early in the second quarter, Burt hid Ward on the edge of the sideline in the Matadors’ new “Daffy Duck” formation. At 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, Ward was dwarfed by the four offensive linemen who stood next to him in the wacky alignment.

Northridge center Skip Allum lined up in the middle of the field with tailback Bill Harris and quarterback Damone Scott (in shotgun formation) behind him. Two wide receivers lined up on Allum’s weak side and another receiver positioned himself on the side with Ward and the linemen.

On the razzle-dazzle play, Scott lateraled to Ward, who fired a perfect spiral to McKinney, who was shadowed by a defensive back.

Ward also had the option of throwing to Billy Nealy or Paul Peters. Nealy caught two of Ward’s touchdown passes earlier this season, for 34 yards and 30 yards, and Peters made a 66-yard reception against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to go along with the 34-yard reception in the Fullerton game.

“It is not amazing to me,” Peters said. “He has a real good arm and he throws the ball on the money. He only lacks height and he doesn’t let that stop him. To me, I know it is going to be a touchdown even before I leave the huddle.”

A quarterback at Los Angeles High and Compton College, Ward has no regrets about not going out for the position when he came to Northridge in 1989.

He caught six passes for 45 yards in ’89 and was redshirted in ’90. This season he has 25 catches for 228 yards, and, ironically, no touchdowns.

“A lot of people in my family and my friends are really impressed with me at quarterback, but I chose wide receiver,” Ward said. “I thought it would be better for my future, though it seems playing quarterback this year on these trick plays helped me a lot.”