COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: ANDERSON LEAVES TEAM RB SAYS IT'S FOR FAMILY REASONS.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

Former Palmdale High and Antelope Valley College standout Jason Anderson has left the University of South Dakota football team.

Anderson, a junior running back, gained 378 yards and six touchdowns. He was the Coyotes' second-leading rusher. Within a day of Anderson's decision, South Dakota's leading rusher, Davon Hudspeth, had also left the team.

They'd been replaced as USD's starting tailback by Anthony Tharrington against South Dakota State two weeks ago. In that game, Anderson carried seven times for 27 yards and a touchdown in the Coyotes' 27-20 loss.

Anderson told USD's student newspaper, the Volante, he was leaving school with the intention of playing football at a college in California so he can be closer to his family, which includes a young son. Anderson said he'll finish the fall semester at South Dakota.

--Hart clash? One week before what they call the Big Game in the Bay Area, Kyle Matter appears poised to get a crack at his old Hart High buddy, Kyle Boller.

Matter, a redshirt freshman at Stanford, has taken over the Cardinal's quarterbacking duties while original starter Chris Lewis recuperates from nagging injuries. Matter will start today's game against Oregon State.

Though Lewis was described as probable for today's game, Matter will make his fourth consecutive start and fifth overall. Stanford's young offense has struggled at times, but Matter has posted respectable numbers: a 58 percent completion percentage (87 of 149), 891 yards and five touchdowns.

Matter was accurate in last week's game against USC. He completed 15 consecutive attempts at the beginning but gained just 95 yards in that span, a sign that coach Buddy Teevens has yet to allow Matter to open up the Cardinal's offense.

Stanford has been held to fewer than 20 points in its last six games, which hasn't happened there since 1962.

Lewis is just a junior and returns next season, and Matter will have his hands full not only starting but even retaining his original backup role. Highly regarded freshman Trent Edwards, junior Ryan Eklund and freshman David Lofton will all be given equal opportunities to win the starting job.

``We'll line up those five and see who does what,'' Teevens told the San Jose Mercury News.

Across the bay in Berkeley, Boller's up-and-down career with the Golden Bears is ending on the highest of notes. A starter since he was a freshman four years ago, Boller has received a big chunk of the credit for Cal's remarkable turnaround from 1-10 to 6-4.

He's passed for 2,329 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was named a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award for the nation's top quarterback.

``We've done some things with his mechanics that has helped him be more efficient as a passer,'' Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. ``With the mental part of the game we've tried to help him understand what the concepts are and how to be a quarterback. When you see him now, he slides instead of taking hits and throws the ball away when he needs to.''

--Bowl talk: Two local players participating in today's New Mexico- Brigham Young game will play key offensive roles in determining which team gets a leg up for a bowl bid. Both New Mexico and Brigham Young are 5-5.

BYU can become bowl eligible with a victory. New Mexico has three games remaining and must win two of them to qualify for a postseason bid. The Lobos will need a huge game from senior receiver Joe Manning (Antelope Valley) to end a 14-game and 31-year losing streak at Brigham Young.

Manning has been one of the Mountain West Conference's top wideouts this season. He leads the Lobos with 29 receptions for 293 yards and a touchdown. When he's returned kicks, Manning is also dangerous with, 70 yards on two returns.

BYU freshman Curtis Brown (Paraclete) also figures to get some opportunities to carry the ball. Though veteran Marcus Whalen has regained his starting spot, Brown has already shown his worth after running for 217 yards and three touchdowns in a win at Utah State.

It's been coach Gary Crowton's intention to showcase both his top tailbacks.

``The running game is something we try to mix up a little. Whalen and Brown are both very good to have in the backfield. I felt like our run game was pretty good last week (against Wyoming),'' Crowton said. ``We'll just try to use all of our people. Hopefully we can create some weapons so it is difficult to defend us.''

But in a 35-31 win over Wyoming, Whalen gained 124 yards on 26 carries, but Brown only had five attempts for three yards but did manage three receptions for 45 yards. For the season, he has 67 carries for 294 yards and four touchdowns. He's also caught 14 passes for 122 yards. Brown also has returned a team-high nine kicks, gaining 178 yards. He ranks third on BYU with 594 all-purpose yards.

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(color in SAC edition only) Cal quarterback Kyle Boller (7) will probably face Stanford quarterback and former Hart High teammate Kyle Matter when the teams meet next week.

Tom Hood/Associated Press