Ready or Not, Northridge Goes to Next Level : College football: Spring practice geared to preparing Matadors for move to Division I-AA.

Spared the ax earlier this year, the Cal State Northridge football program is preparing for the most competitive schedule in school history during spring drills this week.

Coach Bob Burt compares the talent level of this squad, the school’s first to play at the Division I-AA level, to that of the 1990 team that shared the Division II Western Football Conference title.

“The obvious difference being the people we played in 1990 are not the people we’re playing now,” Burt said. “Without a doubt, San Diego State is the best football team that this school has lined up against. It remains to be seen if this team is the best this school has lined up.”

Certainly, the Matadors won’t be lining up Sept. 4 against the Aztecs with an experienced quarterback. It is Coley Kyman’s job to lose, but only because he is the most experienced of a group that includes junior punter Albert Razo and freshman Rino Marconi.

Kyman, a two-time All-American volleyball player, has waited three seasons for a chance to start. He was fourth on the depth chart in 1990 and played in only one game, albeit a memorable one. With two quarterbacks injured and a third struggling in the first half, he came in and rallied the Matadors to a 24-13 victory over Eastern New Mexico.

In 1991, Kyman replaced an injured Marty Fisher in the second game of the season and promptly suffered a broken collarbone that ended his season. As Fisher’s backup last season, Kyman was limited to six appearances, completing 20 of 45 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown.

Should Kyman earn a berth on the U.S national volleyball team this summer, he probably won’t return to Northridge to play football. Given the uncertainty and lack of experience at quarterback, Burt hopes to sign a junior college quarterback or gain a Division I-A transfer before fall drills begin.

With Kyman playing out his final season of volleyball, Razo and Marconi are taking most of the snaps this spring in drills, which culminate with an intrasquad game May 8.

To increase his understanding of the position and to rest his chronically sore quadriceps, Razo is not punting this spring.

Three potential 1993 standouts are not participating in spring drills. Top recruit Mark Harper sat out the 1992 season and is still working toward his associate of arts degree at El Camino College. A 1991 All-American at El Camino, Harper ran for 998 yards and 12 touchdowns in 203 carries and caught 32 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns.

Returning wide receivers Saadite Green (23 catches for 408 yards in 1992) and Victor Prince (10 catches, 134 yards) are saving their 10th and final semester of athletic eligibility for next fall.

The only player who has changed positions this spring is Travis Hall, a freshman from Chaminade High. Hall, who was converted last fall from defensive back to fullback, is now a tight end.

Among the players who have distinguished themselves so far, Burt said, are defensive backs Ralph Henderson and Vincent Johnson, defensive linemen Eric Thomas, Shawn Williams, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound junior transfer from San Bernardino Valley College, and Oscar Wilson (6-3, 285), formerly of Rancho Santiago College.