Dunn Deal

Charles Dunn of Portland State stands only 5 feet 8, but he presents Cal State Northridge with a tall order.

Can the Matadors stop the elusive junior running back, especially when he has so much to run for?

History will not be on Northridge’s side Saturday night, when the Matadors play Portland State in a Big Sky Conference game at Portland’s Civic Stadium.

For Northridge (5-3, 4-2 in conference play), clinging to hopes for a postseason berth after winning four of its last five games, it marks the third matchup against Dunn, a graduate of Pasadena Muir High in his third season as a starter for the Vikings.

Shunned by recruiters because of his size, Dunn--who goes by the nickname “Chip”--needs 134 yards rushing to equal Curtis Delgardo’s school record of 4,178 career yards.

Judging by recent performances, including the last two against the Matadors, Dunn might own the record by halftime. He has rushed for 213 yards in each of the last two games, including a come-from-behind, 42-28 victory last week over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

But records mean little to Dunn.

“I’m not even thinking about it,” he said.

More important, Portland State (7-2, 5-1), ranked 17th in Division I-AA in the ESPN/USA Today poll, is closing in on its first Big Sky title since joining the conference along with Northridge in 1996. The Vikings, tabbed to finish fourth by Big Sky coaches in a preseason poll, are assured of their first winning season in the conference.

By winning, Portland State will pull even with defending champion Montana (6-1), which plays a nonconference game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Portland State holds the tiebreaker over Montana by virtue of a 51-48 victory.

The Vikings finish the season next week at Northern Arizona. Montana plays its final conference game Nov. 20 at Montana State.

Portland State’s offense is among the most potent in Division I-AA, a balanced attack directed by quarterback Jimmy Blanchard, who has passed for 2,554 yards and a Big Sky-leading 28 touchdowns.

Blanchard, a 6-2 junior, set an NCAA record this season by attempting 216 passes without an interception. The streak currently stands at 278 attempts.

Dunn ranks second in the Big Sky in rushing with 1,307 yards and has scored 13 touchdowns.

“We have a good line and they give me good blocking,” Dunn said. “They give me a lot of opportunities and I make the most of them. The record is not on my mind at all. As long as we’re consistent and we win, that’s all that matters. The record will take care of itself.”

Dunn will be the target of a Northridge defense that has improved over the last several games but has missed the mark trying to stop Dunn.

Two years ago, as a redshirt freshman in his fifth start, Dunn rushed for a career-high 250 yards and three touchdowns in a school-record 41 carries in a 26-13 victory over Northridge at Portland.

Dunn finished second in the conference in rushing with 1,176 yards and was selected Big Sky newcomer of the year. He was the first Portland State freshman to rush for 1,000 yards.

Last season, Dunn rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-28 loss at Northridge. He finished third in the Big Sky with 1,561 yards.

“He’s average,” interim Coach Jeff Kearin of Northridge said, jokingly.

Such was the assessment of Dunn by many college recruiters, who considered him too short to play running back. Most were interested in Dunn as a defensive back, a position he played in high school.

Dunn was recruited by Weber State, Oregon State, Utah State and Idaho before choosing Portland State. Northridge, he said, showed no interest.

“Soon as they found out I was short, they stopped talking to me,” Dunn said. “I’ve always been told I’m too short. I’ve heard that a lot. Not too short to play, just too short.”

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Cal State Northridge (5-3, 4-2) vs. Portland State (7-2, 5-1)

When: 6:05 p.m.

Where: Civic Stadium, Portland, Ore.

What: Big Sky Conference game.