Northridge Can’t Send Flowers for Big Sky Opener

The season within the football season, the segment that counts the most, is about to start for Cal State Northridge.

After balancing the books in four nonconference games, the Matadors (2-2) head for their Big Sky Conference opener at Portland State (0-4, 0-2 in the conference) on Saturday night short on proven quarterbacks and perhaps a bit rusty after an open week.

“It’s kind of hard sitting out a week,” Coach Jim Fenwick said. “We just need to really go after Portland State.”

Northridge will have to do that without quarterback Aaron Flowers, who suffered a hairline break of his right leg in a game against Azusa Pacific on Sept. 20 and is not expected back for a few weeks.

Flowers, the Northridge career passing leader with 5,079 yards, will be on the sideline at Portland to help sophomore Josh Fiske direct the Matadors’ run-and-shoot attack.

“You always wonder about the chemistry,” Fenwick said. “We need to support [Fiske]. . . . The biggest difference is that Aaron is more comfortable with the whole package of the offense but Josh doesn’t know the ins and outs.

“The system hopefully will make any quarterback look great.”

It better, or the Matadors could get off to a rocky start in a conference in which they expect to challenge for the championship.

“Going into the Big Sky Conference, I think we’re going to continue to improve,” Fenwick said. “We need to be a little smarter and more consistent defensively.

“I think anybody can beat anybody in this league. Each week, I think there’s going to be a game that could make a difference in the league race and you want to be prepared.”

Ready or not, here’s the projected order of finish:

MONTANA (3-0, 1-0)

The Grizzlies are top-ranked in the two main Division I-AA polls and look every bit the part. They hardly missed junior All-American quarterback Brian Ah Yat, out for most of the first two games with a knee injury, with senior Darren Rowell passing for 574 yards and six touchdowns. Montana and Northern Arizona match up well statistically but the Grizzlies hardly make mistakes, ranking ninth in the nation in turnover margin at plus-five. The teams meet Oct. 25 in Flagstaff but that doesn’t necessarily give the Lumberjacks home-field advantage. Montana has won the past four games there and has defeated Northern Arizona nine consecutive times.

NORTHERN ARIZONA (3-1, 1-0)

Ranked fourth in one poll and fifth in the other, the Lumberjacks have played a soft schedule since losing at New Mexico, 33-10, in the opener on Aug. 30. But Northern Arizona has great depth and sophomore quarterback Travis Brown (1,142 yards passing, 11 touchdowns) has picked up where he left off last season, when he passed for 3,398 yards and 23 touchdowns. But the Lumberjacks have committed 12 turnovers, with Brown throwing 10 interceptions. Senior running back Kino Carson, who last year toiled in the sizable shadow of Walter Payton Award winner Archie Amerson (2,079 yards rushing), is averaging 95.8 yards. The Lumberjacks will be pushed by Cal State Northridge and Eastern Washington.

NORTHRIDGE (2-2, 0-0)

Losing Flowers is a blow for the Matadors, but the toughest part of their schedule comes toward the end. Northridge has performed as anticipated, although a loss at I-A bottom feeder New Mexico State on Sept. 13 could have been avoided with more spirited play. Northridge’s receiving corps, buoyed by the return of All-Big Sky selection Jerome Henry from a broken leg and the stellar play of sophomore Aaron Arnold and senior Brian Comer, is the class of the conference. The Matadors must improve defensively to challenge Montana and Northern Arizona.

EASTERN WASHINGTON (4-0, 2-0)

Definitely a good team but the Eagles have put up impressive statistics at the expense of grossly inferior opponents, none of which remotely compare to Montana, Northern Arizona or Northridge. Eastern Washington’s two Big Sky victories came against mediocre Weber State and winless Portland State. Senior quarterback Harry Leons (893 yards passing, 10 touchdowns) is at full speed after off-season knee surgery and ranks fourth in I-AA in passing efficiency with a 174.21 rating. Junior tailback Mike MacKenzie is averaging 116.5 yards rushing.

MONTANA STATE (2-1, 1-0)

The Bobcats should edge Weber State for fourth place in the conference because of their defense and improved offense, but they are still middle-of-the-pack material. Junior Rob Compson has passed for 804 yards and seven touchdowns. The Bobcats, who already defeated Idaho State, will learn how they match up in the Big Sky with games against Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona and Northridge the next three Saturdays.

WEBER STATE (2-2, 0-1)

Last year, the Wildcats tied with Northridge in third place in the Big Sky but while the Matadors are on the upswing, Weber State is sinking. Part of the problem is the team’s immaturity. The Wildcats have been slapped with 40 penalties for 333 yards, second-worst among conference schools. Weber State also has committed 13 turnovers, including eight interceptions. Free safety-punter-kicker Scott Shields is one of the premier I-AA players and 6-foot-7 tight end Cam Quayle is big time, but two players a team does not make.

IDAHO STATE (0-3, 0-1)

The Bengals must be glad the Big Sky season started, even if they lost last week to Montana State, 14-13. Idaho State was outscored, 84-7, in losses to I-A opponents Utah State and Idaho that short-circuited first-year Coach Tom Walsh’s tactfulness to where he compared his team’s play to paraplegics, endearing himself to disabled people everywhere. The Bengals are overloaded with young players that are poor defensively (406.7 yards allowed per game) and hapless offensively (185.7 yards per game).

PORTLAND STATE (0-4, 0-2)

The Vikings are a mess . . . again. Portland State can’t move the ball, averaging only 14.5 first downs and converting a mere 23.7% of its third-down opportunities, and is turning over the ball 3 1/2 times per game. The Vikings yield 440.5 yards and 42.0 points per game. Portland State won one Big Sky game last season, dropping Cal State Sacramento, 38-31, in November. They could go a calendar year without a conference victory since they don’t face Sacramento until Nov. 1.

CAL STATE SACRAMENTO (0-3, 0-1)

Someone should have mercy on the Hornets but nobody in the Big Sky is bucking for canonization. Sacramento fans qualify easily. By going winless this year, and there’s a good chance of that happening, the Hornets could set a Big Sky record for consecutive losses with 21 and could equal the 16 conference defeats in a row posted by Idaho State in 1978-80. How bad are the Hornets? They give up 525.3 yards per game and allow 26.3 first downs per game.

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Big Sky statistics and standings: C10