Matadors Undergo a Transfer of Power : College football: Millis is third No. 1 quarterback at Northridge since spring practice.

The season-ending injury suffered by Cal State Northridge quarterback Coley Kyman means the Matadors’ offense is working with its third starting quarterback since spring drills.

Punter Albert Razo was the No. 1 quarterback last spring while Kyman was with the volleyball team. Kyman earned the starting job in fall practice and Clayton Millis, a sophomore transfer from Oregon, will start Saturday night against Weber State.

Newcomer J.J. O’Laughlin, a transfer from Illinois who joined the team this week, could also enter the picture once he learns the offense.

“It’s a big challenge adjusting to different quarterbacks,” Northridge quarterbacks coach Dale Bunn said. “The wide receivers are trying to get their timing down. Fortunately, we read a lot of routes. We don’t have as many timing patterns.”

The wide receivers also have to adjust to the speed at which the ball arrives. Millis and O’Laughlin throw a harder pass than Kyman who relied more on touch.

Although Kyman and Millis have a similar cadence when calling the snap count, O’Laughlin’s cadence is not as rhythmical.

“He says, ‘Hut,’ then he pauses, then he says ‘Hut’ again,” Bunn said. “We’re asking him to shorten that pause and make it more rhythmical.”

The Matadors also have to adjust to the loss of Kyman as their leader.

“Coley was a big loss for us because Coley was a friend and Coley was a role model for quarterbacks,” wide receiver Saadite Green said. “He was funny and we were real close. We’re going to miss him.”

When Millis transferred from Oregon to Northridge, he was unaware that Kyman or O’Laughlin would be at Northridge.

Kyman decided to leave the U.S. national volleyball team in mid-July for the chance to complete his final season of football eligibility, and O’Laughlin, a junior, decided to leave Illinois last week when it became clear he would not start.

Millis said he does not feel misled by the Northridge coaching staff, but he does believe that he should not have to compete against O’Laughlin.

So far, O’Laughlin has impressed Bunn with his arm strength.

“He’s coming along, although he’s still a little confused,” Bunn said. “We are throwing the playbook at him.”

O’Laughlin, a former Glendora High standout, will accompany the team to Ogden, Utah, on Friday so long as he is enrolled in 12 units of course work. By Wednesday, he had secured only five units because most of Northridge’s classes are full.

At Illinois, O’Laughlin thought he beat out the other three contenders for the starting job, but he was relegated to third string.

“It was an odd decision,” he said. “I don’t want to be a coach basher, but I saw the way they were treating me.”

O’Laughlin, who was recruited by Coach John Mackovic, was not regarded as highly by current Coach Lou Tepper.

O’Laughlin shopped around for a Division I-AA school because new NCAA rules allow players transferring from I-A to I-AA to play immediately without sitting out a transfer year.

“I like the idea of coming back and playing in California near my family,” said O’Laughlin, whose cousin, Tom Murphy, played for the Matadors in 1988.

Considering he suffered a season-ending leg and ankle injury in his first-ever start, an injury that could affect his promising amateur and pro volleyball career, Kyman has no regrets about his decision to return to the football team.

“I’m still glad I came back,” Kyman said several hours after the injury. “I’m not regretting it.”

Although he exuded confidence, Kyman was never sure if he could play football on the major-college level. Before 40,872 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, the largest crowd in Northridge football history, he put his self-doubts to rest, engineering two scoring drives to give the Matadors a 14-7 lead in the first quarter.

In his greatest college football thrill, Kyman high-stepped into the end zone on a two-yard quarterback draw to give Northridge its second touchdown. He ran to the sidelines with his arms outstretched in celebration of his first, and unbeknown to him, his only rushing college touchdown.

In the first half, Kyman completed 10 of 26 passes for 124 yards and one interception. He was 12 of 33 for 135 yards overall, and nine of his passes were dropped.

Kyman is expected to be released from Encino Hospital today. He was still in pain Wednesday, one day after a three-hour operation to repair two broken bones in his legs, a dislocated ankle and torn ligaments in his ankle.

Matador Notes

Since he arrived at Northridge 1 1/2 years ago, linebacker Ivy Calvin has begged to return kickoffs, but the coaching staff would never let him. After Mark Harper returned four kickoffs for 74 yards Saturday, Calvin got his chance and nearly broke one for a touchdown, racing 60 yards to give Northridge its best field position of the game. Calvin’s effort won him the starting kick returning job. “I don’t know why they didn’t believe me,” Calvin said. “I have a history of bringing them back for touchdowns.” Coach Bob Burt said: “He said he could return kickoffs and lo and behold, he wasn’t lying.”

Calvin would also like to add tailback to his repertoire, although he knows that isn’t realistic. “We’d be much, much better if I was playing both ways,” said Calvin, who says he is the fastest player on the team. That claim is challenged by tailback Robert Trice, who earned team offensive player of the week honors after gaining 78 yards in 16 carries and catching a 59-yard touchdown pass.

Calvin made nine tackles against the Aztecs, 13 total. . . . Cornerback Ralph Henderson earned team defensive player of the week honors with 10 solo tackles, an assisted tackle, and a tackle for a two-yard loss. Henderson also caused a fumble, recovered it, and broke up a pass.

Northridge assistants Scott Norton and Dennis McConnaughy were up early Sunday to break down the San Diego State game film. Then, they drove to LAX to pick up the film Weber State sent from its 40-28 victory over Sonoma State. Only problem was, Weber State did not send the film and it did not arrive until Tuesday, putting the Northridge staff two days behind its preparation schedule.