BIG SKY'S BIG-PLAY RECEIVER; CSUN'S ARNOLD SHOWS HE'S BEST.

Byline: Chris Branam Staff Writer

Aaron Arnold doesn't dress casually, even if the only people who will see him are his teammates and coaches.

Arnold is meticulous with his practice uniform. His jersey isn't dirty and neither are the pants or socks, which are neatly pulled over his calf. It's all tidy, even down to the little towel he has attached to his belt.

Everything is in its proper place. This guy doesn't miss a detail.

``When I'm on the field,'' Arnold says, ``if I look good, I'm going to feel good and I'm going to play good.''

Arnold, a senior wide receiver, is as precise about crossing patterns and downfield blocks as he is about his wardrobe; he enters today's important conference game at Montana as the Big Sky Conference leader in receptions.

It's the belief at CSUN that Arnold, who holds every significant career school receiving record, has no peer in the Big Sky.

Curiously, though, Arnold has never been named first-team all-conference.

``I don't know what a receiver has to do,'' said Jeff Kearin, CSUN's interim head coach, who has been at Northridge during Arnold's entire career. ``He's not a really flashy guy. He just doesn't seem to get the respect as the other (receivers).

``That's odd.''

Arnold leads Division I-AA in receptions per game (8.5). But earlier this season, Portland State head coach Tim Walsh called his receiver - Orshawante Bryant - the best in the conference, and Arnold hasn't been nominated for the Payton Award, given annually to the best player in I-AA.

``I think (Arnold) is the best receiver in the conference,'' said CSUN quarterback Marcus Brady, who has thrown 16 touchdown passes to Arnold in the last two seasons. ``He's a playmaker. He's got speed. He's smart. Every play, he plays as if the ball is going to him.''

Combining last year's statistics with the first four games this season, no receiver in the Big Sky has more catches or touchdowns than Arnold. Only Bryant has more yards.

Arnold is staying out of the argument, though.

``I'm not concerning myself with those things,'' he said. ``If we would have won the conference championship (last year), I would have been first-team. . . . I haven't seen all the competition so I can't say I'm the best.

``To say who's the best, we'd have to go against each other, like a combine or something.''

There are a few reasons, though, why Arnold has been overlooked. First, he plays in an offense that is primarily geared to passing, and five receiver formations aren't uncommon at CSUN.

Sometimes Arnold literally seems to get lost in the shuffle; he didn't get his first catch last week until late in the second quarter.

``Maybe I'm not getting the ball like people in the stands think I should be getting it,'' said Arnold, a Monroe High graduate. ``But I'm just patient.''

Brady said there isn't a strategy in Arnold not getting passes thrown his way early. He mentioned the other effective receivers the Matadors have, like Drew Amerson, who has 27 catches this season, and Terrence Jones, who has 16.

But when the Matadors need a big catch, Arnold's number is called.

``We have in our game plan, `These are Aaron Arnold plays,' '' said CSUN receivers coach Armando Gonzalez. ``We've realized that we have to let players be players. You don't want to overcoach.''

Arnold not only has been at a receiver-friendly school but in a conference that always is geared to the pass. Sacramento State head coach John Volek said every Big Sky team has a receiver or two to stop.

``It's more of a tradition of this conference having a stable (of receivers),'' Volek said. ``Arnold is just one of the racehorses. I don't want to take anything away from him, though, because he is a great receiver.''

Pro scouts are noticing. There have been a few NFL scouts at CSUN practices this season and they were there to see Arnold.

Again, Arnold said he isn't interested in the attention.

``Right now I'm focused on getting my job done,'' he said. ``I'm focused on trying to make the NFL after the season.''

A BIG CATCH

Here's how Cal State Northridge wide receiver Aaron Arnold compares over the last two seasons to Montana's Jeremy Watkins and Portland State's Orshawante Bryant, who were both first-team All-Big Sky last year:

Player Rec. Yds. TD APYDS

Arnold 99 1,392 16 2,019

Watkins 96 1,340 11 1,421

Bryant93 1,488 14 2,183

APYDS - all-purpose yards

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

PHOTO CSUN's Aaron Arnold

BOX: A big catch (see text)