Northridge Ends Up All Wet

At game time, rain steadily peppered Cal State Northridge and Portland State on the artificial turf at Civic Stadium on Saturday night.

Soon after the opening kickoff, Portland State scored and hardly looked like the Big Sky Conference patsy everyone has pushed around the past two seasons.

By halftime, when the showers finally subsided, it was virtually a Dunn deal for the Vikings.

With Portland State running back Charles Dunn slashing and splashing his way through a porous Matador defense, the Vikings upset Northridge, 26-13, in front of 6,888.

Dunn, a freshman from Pasadena Muir High, rushed for 250 yards in a school-record 41 carries and scored three touchdowns. It was the third-highest rushing total in Portland State history.

It was the most yards rushing gained by a Northridge opponent this season and 72 yards shy of the record against the Matadors, established by Northern Arizona’s Jim Smith in 1973. New Mexico State’s Denvis Manns had 221 yards rushing against Northridge on Sept. 13.

“We got to stop the run a little bit better than we are doing,” said Jim Fenwick, Northridge’s coach. “I’m very disappointed in my preparation.”

The Matadors (2-3, 0-1 in conference play) entered the game with one of the poorest defenses in the Big Sky, allowing 400.8 yards per game, including 194.5 rushing. The Vikings rolled up 403 yards, 276 rushing.

Portland State (1-4, 1-2) had won only one conference game since joining the Big Sky last year, beating Cal State Sacramento, 38-31, last Nov. 2.

“It’s just the first game but certainly one that we thought [we] had a shot at winning,” Fenwick said, tears welling in his eyes.

Dunn took care of those expectations almost by himself.

The Vikings, who had not scored in the first half this season, took two plays and 13 seconds to go 50 yards on their first possession for a 7-0 lead on Dunn’s 10-yard run just 2:22 into the game.

Northridge’s passing game, directed by sophomore Josh Fiske in place of injured Aaron Flowers, malfunctioned as receivers repeatedly lost their footing.

“I couldn’t get the zip on the ball like I wanted to,” said Fiske, who completed 20 of 42 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown. “It affected me more than the receivers.”

The Matadors came close to scoring on their second possession but receiver Aaron Arnold dropped three passes from Fiske in the end zone. Arnold left in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle and did not return.

Northridge got a 32-yard field goal from Manny Marquez early in the second quarter after Fiske’s 51-yard completion to Jerome Henry.

Portland State pulled ahead, 14-3, on Dunn’s two-yard run with 4:58 left in the half and made it 17-3 on Randy Lund’s 28-yard field goal with 54 seconds to play.

Dunn’s eight-yard touchdown run gave the Vikings a 23-10 lead before Manny Marquez pulled the Matadors to within 23-13 with a 22-yard field goal with six seconds left in the third quarter.

Lund added a 29-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

Norman Clarke had 79 yards in 19 carries for Northridge. Brian Comer caught nine passes for 131 yards and a 30-yard touchdown.

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PORTLAND STATE 26, NORTHRIDGE 13

Big Sky Results

* Montana State 17

* Eastern Washington 7

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* CS Sacramento 23

* Idaho State 19

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* Weber State 36

* Northern Arizona 23

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* Wyoming 28

* Montana 13

Big Sky Roundup, C18

ON THE AGENDA

Northridge Task Force on Intercollegiate Athletics

* Next Meeting: Monday

* When: 7 p.m.

* Where: University Student Union, grand salon, on east side of campus, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge

* Topics: Athletic Director Paul Bubb and history professor Dr. James Sefton will be among the speakers discussing the history of Northridge athletics