CSUN NOTEBOOK: ONLY KICKER WILL ENJOY PSU'S TURF.

Byline: Chris Branam Staff Writer

For the second and final time this season, the Cal State Northridge football team is playing a game on artificial turf.

Unlike the spongy surface at Kansas, though, the Matadors can look forward to aches and pains Sunday morning. The turf at Portland's Civic Stadium, where the Matadors take on Portland State tonight at 6:05, is much harder.

``I've never made an issue of it,'' CSUN interim head coach Jeff Kearin said, ``other than when they get those turf burns. Playing on wet turf is hard.''

As usual, it was raining Friday when CSUN had its workout at the stadium. Rain is forecast for tonight, and the temperature is supposed to be in the low 40s.

There is one CSUN player who looks forward to a game on turf, though: kicker Derek Brown.

``It helps the kicking game,'' Kearin said, ``because you get a lot of lift on the ball.''

Brown didn't attempt a field goal at Kansas. He's 8 for 10 on field-goal attempts this season.

Up to the task: Some of the Portland State fans tonight will probably remember Mel Miller, CSUN's starting cornerback who played two seasons at the University of Washington, just a couple hours' drive north in Seattle.

Miller, who had a school-record 90-yard interception return earlier in the season, said he's more motivated for the team to get a win than his return to the Pacific Northwest.

``It's just another game we have to get through,'' said Miller, a senior. ``It's going to be a tough game. (PSU) is going to go out there and air it out. I'm just going out there to win this game.''

Choose your poison: A difficult task for the CSUN defense, which recovered from a 48-27 loss at Montana on Oct. 9 to bail out the Matadors in last week's 30-28 win over Weber State, is PSU's varied offense. It features a running back (Charles Dunn) with 1,307 yards and a quarterback (Jimmy Blanchard) with 2,554 yards.

``(The Vikings) have a really, really explosive running back and a fine offensive line,'' Kearin said. ``It's daunting.''

Dunn is sixth in Division I-AA in rushing yards per game and Blanchard is fourth in the nation in passing efficiency.

He's pretty good: Marcus Brady, CSUN's starting quarterback who was hobbled during the week with a sore left ankle, is second in the nation in total offense, averaging 346.3 yards per game.