VALLEY / VENTURA COUNTY SPORTS : Kearin Opener Closes Door to Past : Northridge football: After a nightmare off-season, Matadors open against Western Oregon.

Jeff Kearin had to wonder if today would ever arrive.

Now, Kearin can ponder the future, which includes a few unfamiliar opponents.

“Finally, we’re off and running,” said Kearin, interim football coach at Cal State Northridge.

A summer of turmoil in the past, the season finally begins today for the Matadors, who play Western Oregon at 3:05 today at North Campus Stadium.

Kearin, hired in July after the firing of Ron Ponciano, becomes the fourth Matador coach in as many seasons.

He will begin by leading Northridge against two first-time opponents, Western Oregon and Kansas. The Matadors travel to Kansas next week to play the Jayhawks, who lost their opener to Notre Dame, 48-13.

Both teams are strangers to Northridge, which enters its fourth season in NCAA Division I-AA and the Big Sky Conference.

Northridge plays Southern Methodist for the first time Nov. 13 in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

“I don’t know a whole lot about them other than what I’ve seen on film,” Kearin said of Western Oregon. “And Kansas-Notre Dame, I still haven’t watched that game.”

Northridge, although tabbed to finish eighth in the Big Sky coaches’ preseason coaches’ poll, should bear watching this season.

The Matadors finished second last season and compiled a 7-4 record.

Sophomore quarterback Marcus Brady, conference newcomer of the year last season, has sparkled in practice and is poised for a prolific season. A nucleus of returning players are healthy.

Most important, the fallout from a two-month internal investigation of alleged NCAA rules violations that rocked the program and resulted in Ponciano’s dismissal are history. Morale is on the upswing.

“I’m excited to finally get here,” Kearin said. “We’re in good shape, we had a good practice [Friday]. We’re tired of looking at each other. We want to play. The whole thing has just been nerve-racking, more than anything.”

The ordeal has taken its toll. Kearin has been distracted the last two weeks by the task of collecting money from players as part of self-imposed sanctions resulting from the investigation.

Several players were required to repay earnings from their appearance in a promotional video. Others repaid the cost of eating at team-sponsored barbecues last season.

No players are expected to lose eligibility over the matter.

“It’s just something we’ve had to put behind us and move on,” senior receiver Aaron Arnold said. “I don’t know all the reasons why it happened but it all seemed like it was unavoidable.

“Right now, I’m just focused on Western Oregon.”

Western Oregon, in its final season competing in the NAIA before moving to NCAA Division II, embarks on the most difficult schedule in school history. The Wolves are not ranked in the NAIA top-25 preseason poll.

Western Oregon has seven returning defensive starters and eight returning starters on an offense that averaged 33 points and 410 yards a game to lead the Columbia Football Assn.

The Wolves were 4-5 last season, including two overtime losses.

Senior Chris Doran is the Wolves’ career leader with 2,223 yards receiving. Jason Taroli rushed for 943 yards last season.

Senior Erik Davis is at quarterback.

Eighty-nine of 100 players listed on Western Oregon’s roster are from Oregon. The Wolves have no players from the region.

FOR OPENERS

* A look at how the previous three Northridge coaches did in their debuts. Jeff Kearin’s first game is today:

1998

Ron Ponciano

at Boise State

26-13, Loss

First-year record: 7-4

1997

Jim Fenwick

at Boise State

63-23, Victory#

First-year record: 4-8

1995*

Dave Baldwin

vs. Menlo College

45-2, Victory

First-year record: 2-8

# Northridge forfeited victory because it used an ineligible player

* Baldwin coached for two seasons

Cal State Northridge Football Schedule

Date Opponent Time

9-4 Western Oregon 3:05 p.m.

9-11 at Kansas 4:30 p.m.

9-25 at Eastern Washington 6:05 p.m.

10-2 Idaho State 3:05 p.m.

10-9 at Montana 12:05 p.m.

10-16 CS Sacramento 3:05 p.m.

10-23 at Montana State 12:05 p.m.

10-30 Weber State 3:05 p.m.

11-6 at Portland State 6:05 p.m.

11-13 at Southern Methodist Noon

11-20 Northern Arizona 3:05 p.m.

Big Sky Conference games in bold