New Coach Working on Matador Defense

Ron Ponciano, Cal State Northridge’s third football coach in three years, can imagine what his Big Sky Conference counterparts must be thinking:

The Matadors are unstable. They lack continuity. They have no tradition. They are fodder.

Keep dreaming, Ponciano says.

“I don’t see any problems with our progression,” Ponciano said. “It’s not a problem because no kids have quit because they thought it was a lousy program or they weren’t being treated right.”

Still, some wonder if Northridge can get it together.

The Matadors, heading into their third Big Sky season, were projected in the coaches’ preseason poll to finish seventh among the nine teams in arguably the premier Division I-AA league.

Northridge last year had a 4-4 record in the Big Sky and tied for fourth place with Weber State and Northern Arizona. The Matadors ended 4-8 overall after forfeiting two nonconference victories for using an ineligible player.

It was a crushing outcome for a team that dismantled Division I Boise State in the opener, 63-23, that talked unabashed about winning the conference title and, when carried away with blind enthusiasm, even a national championship.

Ponciano, 39, wasn’t around for any of it. He arrived at Northridge from San Jose State in January to replace Jim Fenwick, who left after one season to become offensive coordinator at New Mexico.

The territory was familiar to Ponciano, Northridge’s defensive coordinator in 1995-96 under Coach Dave Baldwin, who took over at San Jose State last year and hired Ponciano to oversee the defense.

Now Ponciano is out to turn around the Matadors, and he has material to work with, including several outstanding newcomers reeled in with some of the team’s 50 scholarships, five more than last year.

One of the key additions is former Banning High standout Melvin Blue, 6 feet and 230 pounds, an All-Big West pick last season after rushing for 741 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior at Utah State.

“People just can’t tackle him,” Ponciano said.

Northridge’s run-and-shoot scheme was among the best in I-AA the last two years with record-setting Aaron Flowers at quarterback. At this point, freshman Marcus Brady has the edge over junior Josh Fiske in the race to replace Flowers.

Fiske last year passed for 979 yards and five touchdowns in a backup role.

One major concern for Ponciano is to seal a porous defense that last season gave up 392.5 yards a game and that often was incapable of stopping the run. Ponciano is banking on a multiple-look defense to keep opponents guessing.

“I think we have more speed on defense,” Ponciano said. “Up front, we have people who can hold the point inside and not get pushed around.”

Ponciano can’t wait to show the Matadors are no pushovers.

“I’m excited and encouraged by what I see,” Ponciano said. “We have some great players out here. I’m very optimistic.”

Here’s a look at the rest of the Big Sky in projected order of finish:

MONTANA

* Coach: Mick Dennehy (third season).

* 1997 record: 8-4, 6-2 in Big Sky.

* The case for: Sixteen starters return for the Grizzlies, including Hawaiian-born senior quarterback Brian Ah Yat, who last year passed for 2,691 yards and 21 touchdowns despite sitting out the equivalent of four games because of a knee injury.

* The case against: No running game to complement Ah Yat and inexperienced linebackers to fill the hole left by the graduation of three-time All-American Jason Crebo.

* If it all breaks right: There could be football in Missoula deep into December. The Grizzlies should reach the playoffs for the sixth consecutive time.

* Worst-case scenario: Ah Yat quits to surf Pipeline.

MONTANA STATE

* Coach: Cliff Hysell (seventh).

* 1997 record: 6-5, 5-3.

* The case for: Senior quarterback Rob Compson, protected by what Hysell calls the best offensive line since he became coach, threw for 2,388 yards and 22 touchdowns.

* The case against: No Neal Smith to bury opposing quarterbacks. The All-Big Sky end had 19 sacks last season as a senior. The returning linemen have 12 1/2 sacks combined.

* If it all breaks right: Bobcats knock off Montana for the Big Sky title and the state’s bragging rights.

* Worst-case scenario: Montana shames the Bobcats for the 13th consecutive year.

EASTERN WASHINGTON

* Coach: Mike Kramer (fifth).

* 1997 record: 12-2, 7-1.

* The case for: Thirty-two lettermen who know what it takes to win a championship. Kramer took the Eagles to the conference pinnacle and to the I-AA semifinals, and is not about to let them roll over.

* The case against: Several holes to plug. Seven starters are gone from an offense that led I-AA with 505 yards a game.

* If it all breaks right: Eagles soar to perhaps second place but won’t overtake Montana.

* Worst-case scenario: Spoiled fans expect too much, making life miserable for Kramer.

WEBER STATE

* Coach: Jerry Graybeal (first).

* 1997 record: 6-5, 4-4.

* The case for: Solid defense anchored by seniors Scott Shields, a three-time All-Big Sky selection who plays strong safety, kicker and punter, and linebacker David Stroshine.

* The case against: A new coach, so how well the players make the adjustment to a new philosophy remains to be seen.

* If it all breaks right: The Wildcats come up with their third winning Big Sky season in six years.

* Worst-case scenario: Team’s purple jerseys are outlawed in Utah.

PORTLAND STATE

* Coach: Tim Walsh (sixth).

* 1997 record: 4-7, 3-5.

* The case for: Sophomore Charles “Chip” Dunn, from Pasadena Muir High, is the most exciting running back in the conference. He had 1,176 yards rushing, second best in the Big Sky.

* The case against: Youth. The returning starters include 14 sophomores, nine on offense.

* If it all breaks right: A jump to the top four in the standings after finishing near the bottom the last two years.

* Worst-case scenario: Stops raining in Portland, nullifying the home-swamp advantage.

NORTHERN ARIZONA

* Coach: Jerome Souers (first).

* 1997 record: 6-5, 4-4.

* The case for: Quarterback Travis Brown. He passed for 3,395 yards last year, surpassing Steve McNair’s NCAA record for most career yards passing through freshman and sophomore seasons with 6,793.

* The case against: Rampant inexperience and transition to a new coach, albeit a top-drawer former defensive coordinator at Montana.

* If it all breaks right: Lumberjacks fatten up against a Division II foe and Big Sky bottom feeders Idaho State and Cal State Sacramento--and call it a fall.

* Worst-case scenario: Those patsies refuse to go quietly.

IDAHO STATE

* Coach: Tom Walsh (second).

* 1997 record: 3-8, 2-6.

* The case for: Persistence. Bengals have two winning teams in the last 14 years but keep coming back for more punishment.

* The case against: Rebuilding process is in early stages. Idaho State has some promising youngsters but not enough depth.

* If it all breaks right: Walsh keeps his job for another year.

* Worse-case scenario: Governor declines to send disaster relief.

CAL STATE SACRAMENTO

* Coach: John Volek (fourth).

* 1997 record: 1-10, 1-7.

* The case for: Let’s think hard. Oh, yes, the media guide is jazzy. And 2,000-yard passer A.J. Bernhardt returns, along with All-Big Sky linebacker Ryland Wickman.

* The case against: Weakest defense this side of Pocatello. The line is a patchwork of converted players, a sure sign of desperation.

* If it all breaks right: The Hornets can drive a stake through some coach’s heart by beating his team.

* Worst-case scenario: There isn’t one. Hornets are a worst-case scenario.