After Promising Climb, Matadors Hit the Skids

The Big Sky Conference took its name from the 1947 novel “The Big Sky” by A.B. “Bud” Guthrie of Great Falls, Mont.

Since 1963, when the conference was christened, it has remained predominantly a reflection of the Pacific Northwest. While other members have come and gone, six of the Big Sky’s nine teams are located in northern cities, and conference football titles tend to be won by them.

Montana, defending conference champion, has done the most to put the Big Sky on the map, winning four titles in the last six years, plus a Division I-AA national title in 1995.

Enter Cal State Northridge, the southernmost member of the Big Sky, which threatened the traditional landscape last season by making a surprising run for the title before finishing tied for second.

Northridge, boasting team speed as good as any in the conference, took opponents by storm with a quick-paced offense directed by quarterback Marcus Brady, the Big Sky newcomer of the year. The Matadors also surprised opponents by playing solid defense, defeating perennial power Montana, 21-7.

Despite a season-ending 33-29 loss at Idaho State, Northridge appeared poised to take its place as the new star in the Big Sky.

But so far this season, thanks largely to poor defensive play, the Matadors have fizzled. And their chances of becoming the first California team to win a Big Sky title might already be gone.

As Northridge (2-3, 1-2 in conference play) staggers through its fourth season in the Big Sky, the Matadors face a must-win situation today against surging Cal State Sacramento (4-2, 2-2) before a homecoming crowd at North Campus Stadium.

For Northridge, the situation is must-win from here on.

Since joining the conference in 1996, Northridge has not finished worse than fourth. But a third loss in four Big Sky games would all but doom the Matadors while contributing to a slide that has them headed toward the cellar.

For five games, the Matadors have tried with little success to plug holes defensively. Now, the offense is wounded by the absence of top receiver Aaron Arnold, who sustained a separated shoulder last week against Montana.

Arnold’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Northridge, which has relied on its quick-strike capability to remain in games. Arnold is expected to be sidelined at least three games.

“It’s frustrating,” Brady said.

Northridge is 2-0 at home, but both victories--31-19 over Western Oregon and 41-27 over Idaho State--were against unimpressive foes. The Matadors are winless away from home and still have road games against conference powers Portland State and Montana State, as well as a nonconference game at Southern Methodist.

Big Sky coaches tabbed Northridge to finish eighth in preseason polls, largely because of the turmoil surrounding an internal investigation of the program and the firing of former coach Ron Ponciano for allegedly misappropriating funds.

The prognostication irked interim Coach Jeff Kearin and several Northridge players, who pointed to the fact that the team’s nucleus returned and distractions were in the past.

After a lackluster first half of the season, that prediction is becoming more plausible each week.

The mood was bleak following the loss to Montana. Linebacker Brennen Swanson, asked if the Matadors were suffering from the off-season shake-up, let out a sigh.

“I don’t know what to say,” Swanson said. “We just aren’t doing it.”

Defense has been the team’s weak link.

Northridge ranks last in the Big Sky in total defense, last in rushing defense and seventh against the pass. Opponents have thoroughly exploited Northridge on the ground and through the air.

Eastern Washington rushed for a school-record 456 yards against Northridge in a 48-41 victory. Quarterback Drew Miller of Montana picked apart the Matador secondary for 402 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-27 victory.

Meanwhile, the Matadors have been plagued by penalties, many of them in the secondary, most often for holding. Northridge leads the conference with 508 penalty yards in five games.

“Our pass defense is in real trouble right now,” Kearin said after losing to Montana. “It’s approaching a complete breakdown right now.”

It could get worse.

Charles Roberts of Sacramento leads the Big Sky in rushing and the Hornets are the Big Sky’s second-highest scoring team.

Montana State and Portland State also rank among the conference’s top four in scoring.

For Northridge, a season once ripe with optimism might already have become a battle for survival.

CS Sacramento (4-2, 2-2) vs. CS Northridge (2-3, 1-2)

When: 3:05 p.m. today

Where: North Campus Stadium

What: Big Sky Conference game

Fast fact: The series is tied, 13-13. Sacramento won last year, 35-21.