COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: MATTER DIDN'T FALTER STANFORD COACH LAUDS HART GRAD.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

Chris Lewis is back as Stanford's starting quarterback against San Jose State today after a one-week suspension for violating NCAA rules.

Kyle Matter returns to backup duties for the Cardinal. But at least coach Buddy Teevens knows he has another capable quarterback. Matter, the redshirt freshman from Hart High of Newhall, played well in his first collegiate start last Saturday at Boston College.

Matter was 17 of 27 for 244 yards and one touchdown pass, a 7-yarder to Teyo Johnson. He also ran 10 yards for a score and completed passes of 42 and 80 yards. Boston College rallied past Matter and the Cardinal 34-27, but Teevens left impressed with his freshman quarterback's poise.

``It's fascinating to me how people respond to perceived pressure situations,'' said Teevens, in his first season as Stanford's head coach. ``One minute he's a backup guy and doing well, and then he's in a starting role. Some guys crumble with that, but I thought he really stepped up.''

Matter, whose coolness defined his outstanding senior season at Hart in leading the Indians to the Southern Section title, didn't make any excuses and showed he's ready to be Stanford's quarterback of the future.

``We just didn't get the job done in the second half like we should have,'' he said.

Another local product at Stanford, senior defensive tackle Matt Leonard (Palmdale), didn't play against Boston College. When healthy last season as a junior, Leonard was productive. But he made just five starts and missed four games with back pain.

--He's got Spirit: Like many of his teammates who hail from the Los Angeles area, Colorado senior Josh Foster (Paraclete) grew up watching USC and UCLA. Both teams are on the Buffaloes' schedule the next two weeks.

But Foster, a starting offensive tackle, isn't looking at them as games against hometown teams.

``We're not looking at it like that. It's not a one-game season, and we know we don't have any easy games with the teams we're playing,'' Foster said. ``As for the L.A. thing, it's just another game to me.''

Foster remains in contact with several of his ex-Paraclete teammates, such as Rob McShea and Peter Cich. In a way, the Spirits' dynasty of five consecutive Southern Section championships was first concocted by Foster's class, which won the first in 1997.

``I have great memories of Paraclete,'' he said. ``Things have changed there, and maybe we were the ones who got something started. We won the title and maybe lots of guys wanted to go to Paraclete. That might have been a factor.''

Colorado senior defensive back Omar Stewart (College of the Canyons) is redshirting this season after suffering anterior cruciate and medial cruciate knee ligament tears in Colorado's spring drills.

--Michigan State(ment) for Boller, Bears: After quarterbacking Cal to two convincing victories against inferior opponents, Golden Bears senior Kyle Boller (Hart) faces a big test today at No. 15 Michigan State in a 9 a.m. ESPN-televised game.

After Cal, 1-10 last season, dropped 70 points in an opening rout of Baylor, the Bears beat New Mexico State 34-13. Boller was 19 of 32 for 180 yards and two touchdowns. At least four of his attempts were dropped.

``You always want to have the big plays,'' he said. ``The big plays will happen, you want them to happen.''

But Boller, who has yet to fulfill the expectations showered on him when he signed with Cal, was thinking more about doubling 2001's win total in two Saturdays.

``I haven't been 2-0 in a long time, probably since high school,'' he said. ``Definitely very nice. It's great to go into the locker room again after another victory.''

First-year Cal coach Jeff Tedford was pleased with Boller's progression from the Baylor to the New Mexico State games.

``He made great decisions in throwing the ball away. That is progress, and I am very pleased that he understands that throwing the ball away is part of being a quarterback,'' Tedford said. ``This week will be a situation where (the Spartans) are very multiple on defense. They create a lot of problems for you, and I'm sure there will be a little bit more pressure on Kyle this week than there has been in the past two weeks.''

--Joe likes Bears: New Mexico senior wide receiver Joe Manning (Antelope Valley High) hopes the Lobos' rematch against Baylor today goes as well for him personally as did last season's 16-13 overtime loss to the Bears.

Manning scored a touchdown on a 64-yard pass. He scored another key touchdown for the Lobos last week in another tough overtime defeat, 38-31 at Air Force. With New Mexico down 31-24, Manning caught a screen pass from quarterback Casey Kelly and followed an escort of blockers for a 13-yard tying touchdown.

He finished with seven receptions for 64 yards and leads the Lobos with 12 catches and 100 yards.

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Kyle Matter (11) was 17 of 27 for 244 yards and one touchdown pass in Stanford's loss last Saturday.

Neal Hamberg/Associated Press