CSUN SCORES 61 - AND LOSES SAC STATE 64, CSUN 61.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

SACRAMENTO - The offenses were as prolific as the defenses were horrific. It will go down in the record books as one of the most offensive games in history.

Sacramento State beat Cal State Northridge 64-61, combining for 125 points and setting all kinds of records Saturday at Fred Anderson Field.

The teams combined to score the second-most points ever in a college football game. The NCAA record of 136 points was set in 1968 when North Park beat North Central 104-32 in a Division II game.

The Matadors (3-6, 2-5 in Big Sky) and Hornets combined for the most points in any game in 32 years.

CSUN's 61 points was the most scored by a losing team in Division I-AA. The game had 18 touchdowns, breaking the Division I-AA record of 17, accomplished three times.

It was an ironic performance from CSUN, considering its offense struggled most of the year. CSUN had more yards (177) in one quarter than it did in an entire game (155) this season.

``We're a team of surprises,'' receiver Gil Rodriguez said. ``We've been surprising people all year. We found another way to lose. We've played in a snowstorm, a monsoon, played in the highest-scoring game in the world. Next week we'll probably play during an earthquake. Who knows?''

All anybody knows is that it was an unlikely offensive performance - 611 yards. It wasn't a school record, but it was close. CSUN racked up 663 yards against Humboldt State in 1978.

And it was an even more unlikely defensive performance. The stingy CSUN defense was embarrassed, allowing 535 yards.

Back and forth the teams drove down the field as if it was a friendly alumni game.

``There was not a lot of defense played here tonight,'' CSUN coach Jeff Kearin said. ``It was a great college football game. We did some phenomenal things on both sides of the ball and we did some phenomenally stupid things.''

Like allowing Sacramento State quarterback Ricky Ray to pick apart the CSUN secondary. Ray completed 18 of 24 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns. Sacramento State running back Charles Roberts - the Division I-AA career rushing leader - moved into fifth place on the all-time NCAA career rushing list with 6,366 yards, passing Ricky Williams and three others Saturday. Roberts ran for 159 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns.

The defense was as frazzled as the offense was elated.

``I was on the sideline and I kept saying, `What can we do?,'' safety Travis Campbell said. ``I felt so helpless. I felt like there was nothing we could do. Look at the scoreboard. It shows 64 points, dude. It's like a basketball game. God, I don't even bowl more than 64.''

It was the most combined points in a game in CSUN history. The Matadors smashed the record of 92 points set in 1992 when CSUN beat Southern Utah 56-36.

The NCAA Division I-A record is 124 points, a record set by Oklahoma and the University of Colorado in 1980. Oklahoma beat Colorado 82-42 on Oct. 4 that year.

The Division I-AA record for combined points in a game was 122. Eastern Washington and Weber State combined for that in 1991.

Almost lost in all this: CSUN quarterback Marcus Brady threw for a career-high 493 yards and four touchdowns. Brady completed 32 of 54 passes with one interception. He threw touchdown passes to Gil Rodriguez, D.J. Hackett, Jason Stone and Drew Amerson. He also ran for a score.

``Maybe the offense seems happy, but the defense isn't,'' Brady said. ``Guys were coming up to us and apologizing.''

Brady figured the game might have been impressive enough to warrant some time on ESPN.

``It was a fun game offensively,'' Brady said. ``We saw from the get-go we were going to be rotating scores. I've never been in a game like this before.''

Sacramento State defensive back Brandon Coleman intercepted a Brady pass in the fourth quarter, possibly keeping the teams from setting the all-time scoring record with 3:21 left.

Brady threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Drew Amerson with 1:02 left, which tied for second with the 1949 game which featured 125 points.

CSUN was down 57-40 with 11:32 left in the fourth quarter but made a comeback. Brady connected with Stone for a 32-yard touchdown pass to pull within 10 at 57-47. After a Roberts 3-yard run, CSUN scored on consecutive series, pulling within three at 64-61. CSUN then tried an onside kick but didn't recover.

CSUN's offense scored on four of its first five possessions in the first half.

The Hornets flustered the Matadors' secondary for passing plays of 21, 39, 17, 57, 22, 19 and 25. And that was just the first half.

The Hornets led 29-26 at halftime. CSUN gave up a long touchdown pass - its second of the first half - late. Sacramento State got the ball with only 1:36 left in the half, but it was enough time to get in the end zone.

Sacramento State burned the secondary for a 25-yard scoring reception by Lamont Webb. The Hornets started the play with 14 seconds left, but Ray had plenty of time to throw and found Webb open in the right corner of the end zone with eight seconds left.

The Hornets also scored on Webb's 90-yard kickoff return. Sacramento State hadn't returned a kickoff for a touchdown since Oct. 25, 1997. Tyrone Taylor returned a kickoff 89 yards for a score against CSUN that year.

``We're very upbeat about what the offense, did but we don't want to lose sight that we lost this game,'' Kearin said.

BY THE NUMBERS

Most combined points scored in a NCAA football game, by division:

Div. I-A: 124 (Oklahoma 82, Colorado 42, 1980)

Div. I-AA: 125 (Sacramento St. 64, CSUN 61, 2000)

Div. II: 136 (North Park 104, North Central 32, 1968)

Div. III: 123 (Westminster 62, Greenville 61, '98 and Susquehanna 62, Juniata 61, '98)

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Box: BY THE NUMBERS (see text)