Sagging Northridge Feeling Run-Down : College football: Uninspired performances by the Matadors’ offensive line and backs have left the ground game sputtering.

Perhaps the dreadful state of the Cal State Northridge running game can be illustrated in one play last weekend: Jamal Farmer was stopped for no gain and the Matadors were whistled for a penalty.

The Northridge running game is so unproductive that in the team’s three losses, it has accounted for five first downs. In those losses, Northridge (2-3) has averaged 27 yards on the ground and has scored 4.7 points per game.

In their wins, the Matadors have averaged 152.5 yards rushing and 19 points. Overall, they are averaging 227.4 yards and 8.4 points.

Farmer, who ran for 2,124 yards in 2 1/2 seasons at Hawaii, was expected to lead the Matadors out of the mire of a 3-7 season. Instead, he has gained 21 yards in 22 carries and has been limited to two games because of a left knee injury.

Starting fullback Jim Warren, who has missed the past two games because of a left knee sprain, has been held to 35 yards in 12 carries. Third-string tailback Robert Moreno has 42 yards in 11 carries, and backup fullback Jess Garner has 106 yards in 34 carries.

Backup tailback Robert Trice is the only runner averaging more than four yards. But Trice, the team’s leading rusher with 236 yards in 55 carries (4.3), has been limited to two quarters in the past two games because of a left hamstring strain. Regardless of the injuries, none of the running backs have shown the speed to get into the open field.

Garner’s 25-yard jaunt against San Francisco State is the team’s longest run. Trice’s longest gain is 15 yards. Farmer’s longest run? Nine yards.

The combination of poor production from the backs and spotty play by the offensive line has left the Northridge offense in park and forced a surprisingly strong defense to spend too much time on the field. At the halfway mark of the season, the running game--expected to be Northridge’s strength--has turned out to be its Achilles’ heel.

Northridge has a bye this week that should enable Trice to recover. Warren, an excellent blocker and a second-effort type of runner, also is expected to return Oct. 17 at Santa Clara.

Farmer, who played on a limited basis in a 30-7 loss to Idaho last week (14 yards in 10 carries), could be at full strength for Santa Clara. He underwent arthroscopic surgery Sept. 16 after injuring his left knee in the season-opening loss to Cal State Fullerton.

If Warren and Farmer play against Santa Clara, it will mark the first time the Matadors have had their starting backfield since the opener.

But even then, Farmer was injured early in the game against Fullerton. He continued to play, minus his acceleration and cutting ability, and was held to seven yards in 12 carries. The offensive line bore the brunt of the criticism when the Matadors gained eight yards in 24 carries.

The line got off the hook the next two games when the surprising Trice ran for 107 and 108 yards in wins over UC Davis and San Francisco State.

But after the Matadors were held to 31 yards rushing against Central Oklahoma, Coach Bob Burt was so upset with the offensive line that he replaced center Greg Sorensen and right guard Kevin Bess with Scott Norman and Jose Casillas, respectively.

Because of a knee injury suffered by left guard Brian Hay, Edvin Babayova also was moved into the starting lineup.

The line’s chemistry was mixed even more when Sorensen and Bess played intermittently against Idaho.

Again, the running game was stopped, this time for 41 yards in 33 carries. Moreover, quarterback Marty Fisher was sacked twice for losses totaling 13 yards.

“We made some mistakes,” left guard John Chase said. “We gotta polish up some things and find out who is going to be out there.”

Burt promised he will keep the line intact (barring injury), beginning with the Santa Clara game.

The line is not always at fault. At times, Northridge’s backs fail to hit holes quickly or show enough speed to turn the corner. In the game against Idaho, Farmer appeared reluctant to cut upfield.

“There were several plays when (Farmer) accelerated,” Burt insisted. “I see no problem with the way he’s running.”

Without a running game, Northridge has failed to generate a passing attack the past two games, during which Fisher has thrown more than a dozen uncatchable passes and four interceptions. Burt was critical of Fisher’s play against Central Oklahoma but saw improvement against Idaho. “Marty Fisher played well,” Burt said. “He overthrew a few balls. But he had heat on him.”

Burt was optimistic after his team’s loss to Idaho, ranked sixth in NCAA Division I-AA. “If we play defensively like we played against Idaho and start putting some points on the board when we get the opportunity, then I’m really optimistic about the rest of this year,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anybody in our league like Idaho.”

Perhaps not, but most WFC teams can beat a team that is averaging 76 yards rushing. Without better blocking and more explosive running by the backfield, the Matadors could be going nowhere.

Where’s the Rush?

Heading into the season, Cal State Northridge had high hopes for its rushing attack, but after five games the Matadors’ offense has ground to a halt. Following is a game-by-game recap of the Northridge running game’s production:

Opponent TC Yds. Avg. TD Result CS Fullerton 24 8 0.3 0 (L) 7-28 UC Davis 46 125 2.7 0 (W) 16-14 San Francisco St. 39 180 4.6 1 (W) 22-6 Central Oklahoma 20 31 1.5 0 (L) 0-14 Idaho 33 41 1.2 1 (L) 7-30 Totals (5 games) 162 385 2.4 2 2-3