Flowers Might Be Ready

When Cal State Northridge quarterback Aaron Flowers fractured his right fibula playing against Azusa Pacific on Sept. 20, the target date for his return was Oct. 25 against Cal State Sacramento.

But the Matadors (3-3, 1-1 in Big Sky Conference play) visit Montana State (3-2, 2-1) for a crucial game Saturday, raising the question of whether Flowers could be ready to play ahead of schedule.

Flowers won’t know until Wednesday, when he visits an orthopedist.

If Flowers is cleared, Coach Jim Fenwick will have to choose between Northridge’s all-time passing leader or sophomore Josh Fiske, who has passed for 544 yards and two touchdowns the past two weeks.

“The question is where [Flowers] is at health-wise,” Fenwick said. “Josh is got to be prepared to be the starter this week.”

Fenwick said that, given an option, he won’t decide until Friday.

“I want to do what’s right for the team,” Fenwick said.

Flowers has 1,519 yards passing and 14 touchdowns. He led Division I-AA in total offense at 379.8 yards per game.

*

Just call them the all-weather Matadors.

After playing in the rain Oct. 4 at Portland State and in 30-mph winds Saturday at North Campus Stadium, the Matadors could be tested next in the snow.

Montana State Coach Cliff Hysell said winter already is rearing its head in Bozeman, where overnight temperatures have dipped in the 30s the past few days.

“I’m praying for snow now,” Hysell joked. “It would be very, very inhospitable of us [if it didn’t snow].”