SACK RACE

This is a warning for the Cal State Northridge football opponents’ game-emergency system:

Over the next three hours, you must keep Northridge outside linebacker Brennen Swanson in check. In case of a disaster, namely Swanson burying your quarterback, you will receive instructions on corrective steps to take.

For Montana’s Sean Davis, Southern Utah’s Matt Cannon and Eastern Washington’s Griffin Garske, the alarms sounded too late. Swanson sacked them a combined eight times.

Perhaps none of the sacks was bigger than the one on Garske on Eastern Washington’s last play, helping preserve Northridge’s 38-35 Big Sky Conference home victory Sept. 26.

It came a play after Swanson tackled running back Jovan Griffith for a six-yard loss on a swing pass from Garske.

“Brennen has great acceleration, runs real good and plays with his hands real well,” Matador Coach Ron Ponciano said. “He has the ability to make the right choice on every play.”

Swanson, modest and low-key, says he’s just reaping the benefits of cohesive defensive work.

“Our [defensive backs] are doing a great job covering and the quarterback ends up scrambling and gives me an opportunity for sacks,” he said.

Swanson, who leads the Matadors with 8 1/2 sacks and is second on the team with 39 tackles, will be aiming to increase those numbers tonight when Northridge (4-1, 3-0 in Big Sky) plays at Cal State Sacramento (2-4, 0-3) in a conference game at 6:05.

With six games remaining, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior from Santa Ynez Valley Union High is six sacks shy of Northridge’s season record set by linebacker Ken Wallace in 1990.

The accolades fall on Swanson nearly every week and he doesn’t quite know how to react. He appreciates the recognition as defensive player of the week, twice by the Big Sky and once by USA Today/ESPN in Division I-AA, but he doesn’t bask in it.

Relatively shy but slowly growing more comfortable with his popularity, Swanson would rather chase quarterbacks through a minefield than talk about himself.

“I think he’s really professional about the game,” said defensive tackle Levi Line, a former Royal High player who rooms with Swanson on the road. “He always knows what we have to do. You won’t see him goofing off a lot.”

Not when it comes to football or school.

Swanson learned that the hard way. He was recruited by former Matador Coach Dave Baldwin but didn’t qualify academically because he failed to take required core classes in high school.

So, after a stellar career at strong safety and wide receiver at Santa Ynez, where he played with Matador backup quarterback Josh Fiske, Swanson had to choose between playing at a junior college or become a Prop. 48 student at Northridge in 1995.

He picked Northridge, paying his way the first year and hitting the books hard enough that he is on schedule to graduate in May. He plans to play for the Matadors next year while attending graduate school with the hope of becoming a teacher.

“Football is pretty important to me,” Swanson said. “I wanted to be here all along and go to the school I was going to play at.”

Swanson played in 10 games in 1996 and was playing part-time last year when an injury sidelined inside linebacker Rob Pifferini, opening the door for Swanson. He went the distance at Montana and finished with eight unassisted tackles in Northridge’s 21-13 loss.

“Last year, I didn’t think I had the chance to show what I could do because I had to share [playing] time [with Pifferini],” Swanson said. “I could never get into a rhythm.”

When Ponciano arrived at Northridge in January, Swanson figured his chances to earn a starting spot were much improved. Ponciano was Baldwin’s defensive coordinator and knew Swanson, who impressed the new coach during spring workouts and hasn’t stopped since.

“As soon as you meet the kid, you fall in love with the guy,” Ponciano said. “He never makes excuses and he’s always done what we’ve asked him to do.”

Which includes, but is not limited to, making opposing quarterbacks look like FEMA projects.

“He’s brought us to a different level on defense,” Ponciano said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Cal State Northridge (5-1, 3-0) at Cal State Sacramento (2-3, 0-3)

What: Big Sky Conference game

When: Tonight, 6:05

Where: Hornet Stadium

Fast fact: Northridge has four consecutive victories, Sacramento four consecutive losses.