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CSUN HASN'T BEEN ON THE DEFENSIVE.


Byline: Marc J. Spears Daily News Staff Writer

Scorekeepers for the Portland State football team probably aren't going to sue for being overworked.

In four games, the Vikings haven't scored in the first half, have just seven points in the third quarter, average 10.5 points per game and are second to last in the Big Sky Conference in total offense.

But the Vikings might get a chance to light up the scoreboard this week when they play host to Cal State Northridge on Saturday night at the Portland Civic Stadium, at least if the Matadors play defense as they have the past few weeks.

``We will get (Portland State) straightened out. We always get people straightened out,'' joked CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge  first-year head coach Jim Fenwick, who believes his defense was hurt by playing three Division I-A schools early and will come around this weekend.

In the Matadors' first season in the Big Sky last year, they were sixth in total defense, allowing 391.5 yards per game while owning a 122.7 rating in passing defense that ranked sixth in the pass-dominated league. In rushing defense, they ranked second in the Big Sky and 12th in the nation, allowing just 106.8 yards per game.

After four games this season, CSUN has fallen in all of those categories. The Matadors have allowed 400.8 yards in total defense, sixth in the Big Sky and 101st in Division I-AA. In passing defense, they are seventh in the league with a rating of 150.4 and have allowed 206.25 yards per game. They are also seventh in the Big Sky in rushing defense, allowing 194.5 yards per game. They have allowed more than 400 yards in total offense to Hawaii, New Mexico New Mexico, state in the SW United States. At its northwestern corner are the so-called Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at right angles; New Mexico is also bordered by Oklahoma (NE), Texas (E, S), and Mexico (S).  State and Boise State, all Division I-A schools.

The Matadors' defensive play likely will improve against the Vikings' weak offense, which has been hampered by key injuries to one of their quarterbacks and three of their tailbacks.

But even that theory doesn't make CSUN All-American linebacker Marc Goodson comfortable. The senior not only has been disappointed with his team's defensive play but also with some players' poor attitude and lack of mental preparation. For example, he said many defensive players were reluctant to practice after picture day was canceled because of rain recently.

``I know how good of a unit we have and we haven't played well,'' said Goodson, who leads the team in tackles (40), tackles for loss (five) and recovered fumbles (two). ``Up until our last game (Azusa-Pacific, Sept. 20), I don't think we've been mentally prepared. You need to practice well to play well and we weren't getting it done (in practice).

``I've talked to all of them and had my words with the guys. I've told them how well we need to be practicing out here and what we need to do. If we want to go to a championship, we can't complain when we practice. We have to suck it Suck It is the first episode of the second season of Robot Chicken. List of skits
Renewal of Robot Chicken by [adult swim]
Seth Green thanks Adult Swim for the renewal of the new season of Robot Chicken.
 up and practice and there is too much (complaining) right now.''

Despite Goodson's views, CSUN defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a football team in the National Football League or college football who is in charge of the defense. This position aids the head coach a great deal in many ways by delegating play calling to other coaches and allowing the head  John Rosenberg John Rosenberg is an American football coach.[1] He is one of the few people in the coaching profession who is a graduate of Harvard University.

Rosenberg is known for his creativity and innovation in defensive strategy.
 isn't concerned about the defense's game preparation and isn't ready to panic about its play. The coach, who has 25 years of experience - 11 as a Penn State assistant - said one factor is the fact CSUN has played three Division I-A schools and didn't use the first team long against Azusa-Pacific.

Also, Rosenberg said, the defense hasn't been at full strength because of injuries. Although strong safety Franck Pace (ACL See access control list.

1. ACL - Access Control List.
2. ACL - Association for Computational Linguistics.
3. ACL - A Coroutine Language.

A Pascal-based implementation of coroutines.

["Coroutines", C.D.
 tear) is out for the season, defensive lineman Lineman or linesman may refer to:
  • Lineman (occupation), one who installs and maintains electrical, telephone, and/or telegraph lines
  • Wichita Lineman
 Ronald Aumua (hyperextended elbow), defensive lineman Keith Selico (ankle) and Vito Clemente (MCL MCL - Macintosh Common LISP  knee sprain sprain, stretching or wrenching of the ligaments and tendons of a joint, often with rupture of the tissues but without dislocation. Sprains occur most commonly at the ankle, knee, or wrist joints, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty in moving the involved joint. ) are expected to play against the Vikings. Strong safety Shayne Blakey (hamstring hamstring /ham·string/ (ham´string) one of the tendons bounding the popliteal space laterally and medially.

inner hamstring  the tendons of gracilis, sartorius, and two other muscles of the leg.
 sprain) is questionable for the game while defensive back Tayari Ferrell (knee surgery) began running Tuesday and might return Oct. 11 against Weber Weber, river, United States
Weber (wē`bər), river, c.125 mi (200 km) long, rising in the Uinta Mts., N central Utah, and flowing north and northwest to join the Ogden River at Ogden. The combined stream flows to the Great Salt Lake.
 State.

``We could have used the Azusa Pacific game to tighten the stats, but we wanted to play everybody,'' said Rosenberg, who admitted he underestimated New Mexico State's ability to run. ``We didn't stop the pass against Hawaii (328 yards) and didn't stop the run against New Mexico State (354 yards). But I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed)

"Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party.
 if you can use statistical measures. It will all play out in the end when everyone is playing common opponents and no Division I opponents.''

Where's the defense?

Last season Cal State Northridge ranked just sixth in the Big Sky in total defense after allowing 391.5 yards per game. This year, the Matadors again are sixth. Here is a breakdown of what CSUN has done defensively this season:

Category Ave AVE Avenue
AVE Average
AVE Alta Velocidad Espanola (train between Madrid and Seville)
AVE Alta Velocidad Española (Spanish: High Speed Train)
AVE Audio Video Entertainment
AVE Advertising Value Equivalent
. Big Sky I-AA

Total 400.8 ypg 6th 101st

Passing 150.4 rating 7th 109th

Rushing 194.5 ypg 7th93rd

Scoring 26.5 ppg 6th 87th

3rd Down Conversion 43.1% 7th N/A.

Note: CSUN allows 206.25 passing yards per game.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Chart

Photo: CSUN linebacker Marc Goodson (51), shown after a tackle, said his team's defense has been mentally unprepared.

David R. Crane / Daily News

Chart: WHERE'S THE DEFENSE? (see text)
COPYRIGHT 1997 Daily News
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 1997, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Article Details
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Title Annotation:SPORTS
Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Article Type:Statistical Data Included
Date:Oct 2, 1997
Words:846
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