MATADORS HAVE NO DEFENSE : THIS TIME AROUND, MONTANA SCORES EARLY AND OFTEN MONTANA 48 CSUN 27.Byline: Chris Branam Staff Writer Linebacker Brennen Swanson shook his head, then looked down at the floor. He said he didn't know what happened. But he knew. It just wasn't something he wanted to admit. Statistically, Cal State Northridge has the worst defense in the Big Sky Conference. That stat stat adv. With no delay. adj. Immediate. STAT Stat! Clinical medicine adverb Fast, quickly, immediately, schnell, vite Lab medicine noun doesn't lie. Not when the Matadors could barely stop Montana in a 48-27 conference loss Saturday afternoon in front of 18,874 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium Washington-Grizzly Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. It is home to the Montana Grizzlies of the Big Sky Conference, a dominant program in Division I-AA. . ``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. what to say,'' said Swanson, a candidate for the Buchanan Award, given annually to Division I-AA's top defensive player. ``We just didn't do it.'' ``It'' could have been any number of things, like crisp tackling, or making big plays, or putting any kind of fear into the Grizzlies The name Grizzlies may refer to:
Miller picked CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge apart, completing 25 of 37 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns. Many of his completions were to receivers who didn't have a Matadors defender within 2 or 3 yards. ``Their receivers were wide open,'' said Jeff Kearin, CSUN's interim head coach. ``Our pass defense is in real trouble right now. It's approaching a complete breakdown.'' Kearin, who doubles as CSUN's offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator typically refers to the coach on a football team in the National Football League or College football who is in charge of the offense. This position aids the head coach by designing and scripting plays, delegating work to offensive position coaches during , said he trusts 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 Foster Andersen, who has more than 30 years of college coaching experience. After watching Miller work over the secondary, though, Kearin knows something needs to be done. CSUN is playing a lot of zone coverage, and it is getting burned. ``At this point, I don't know if man-to-man is the answer,'' Kearin said. ``I defer de·fer 1 v. de·ferred, de·fer·ring, de·fers v.tr. 1. To put off; postpone. 2. To postpone the induction of (one eligible for the military draft). v.intr. to (the defensive coaches') better judgment. Those are good kids, they're getting there, but we're playing some good teams.'' Montana, which improved to 3-1 in the Big Sky and moved into a first-place tie with Portland State for the conference lead, had 540 yards of offense, which is actually about 30 yards under the Grizzles' per-game average. But CSUN (2-3, 1-2) entered this game with better team speed, more athleticism and a psychological advantage coming from last year's 21-7 upset of the Grizzlies. Montana didn't score until the third quarter last year. The Grizzlies, ranked No. 8 in Division I-AA, needed only three plays to go 73 yards and get the game's first touchdown on Saturday. The Grizzlies' first play was a 44-yard completion to Jimmy Farris. Two plays later, Miller found tailback tail·back n. Football The back on an offensive team who lines up farthest from the line of scrimmage. tailback Noun Brit a queue of traffic stretching back from an obstruction Yo Humphrey open and Humphrey went in from 29 yards. Most of Montana's scoring drives went just like that: 71 yards, six plays; 53 yards, four plays; 67 yards, six plays, etc. Sophomore linebacker Cos Abercrombie, who had only four tackles, said he's unsure of what adjustments are being made in the CSUN secondary. ``I wonder what's going on What's Going On is a record by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), What's Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music. back there sometimes,'' he said. Miller, a transfer from BYU BYU Brigham Young University BYU Bayou BYU Bob's Your Uncle BYU Bayreuth, Germany - Bindlacher Berg (Airport Code) BYU Beyond Your Understanding who has nine touchdown passes in his last two games, credited his receivers instead of blaming Northridge's defensive backs. ``Guys were wide open because they were running the right routes,'' he said. ``Everybody was doing their job.'' Miller may get the Payton Award as the best player in Division I-AA. Marcus Brady Marcus Brady (Born September 24, 1979) is a quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. College career He attended Cal State Northridge as a business major, where he started 43 straight games. , CSUN's sophomore quarterback who may be a leading contender for the award next year, didn't fare as well Saturday, completing just 51 percent (26 of 51) of his passes for 282 yards. Brady showed good mobility, but not when he was sacked on fourth-and-13 on Montana's 35-yard line midway through the second quarter. The 12-yard loss shifted momentum, got the noisy home crowd back into the game, and the Grizzlies went on to score a touchdown on their ensuing en·sue intr.v. en·sued, en·su·ing, en·sues 1. To follow as a consequence or result. See Synonyms at follow. 2. To take place subsequently. possession to take a 24-10 lead. ``I'm going to take the blame for that,'' said Brady, who was sacked five times. ``Fourth down, I should have thrown the ball away. It was a big momentum change.'' CSUN still has a slim chance Noun 1. slim chance - little or no chance of success fat chance probability, chance - a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible; "the probability that an at the conference title; Montana won it last year with two losses. But the Matadors play Sacramento State this week, and the Hornets upset Portland State 41-14 Saturday. ``We're not hanging our heads on the season,'' said CSUN tailback Jaumal Bradley, who had a career-high 116 yards. ``We're not down on ourselves. Keep your eye on Northridge.'' CSUN vs. Montana: A closer look THE HERO Montana QB Drew Miller, who showed CSUN why he's a Payton Award candidate. Miller, a junior, went 25 of 37 for 402 yards and 4 TDs. He had 1 INT, but it was a tipped pass. THE GOAT CSUN QB Marcus Brady, who took a sack on fourth-and-13 in the second quarter when CSUN trailed 17-10. The 12-yard loss led to a four-play, 53-yard TD drive by Montana that turned the game's momentum. STAT OF THE GAME Montana averaged 9.5 yards per gain, including 16 yards per completion. The Grizzlies outgained CSUN by 92 yards despite running 15 fewer plays. QUOTE OF THE GAME ``We did stop them a few times, but obviously we didn't do it enough.'' - Brennen Swanson CSUN linebacker Notebook: Arnold hurt, likely to miss 3 to 4 weeks MISSOULA, Mont. - This was the dreaded dread v. dread·ed, dread·ing, dreads v.tr. 1. To be in terror of. 2. To anticipate with alarm, distaste, or reluctance: dreaded the long drive home. worst-case scenario worst-case scenario n → Schlimmstfallszenario nt for the Cal State Northridge football team. Not only did Montana beat CSUN by three touchdowns, but the Matadors lost top receiver Aaron Arnold in the fourth quarter when Arnold separated his right shoulder on a 20-yard completion at the Grizzlies' 2. Arnold, a senior who entered the game leading Division I-AA in receptions per game, is expected to be out three to four weeks. ``I don't know what's worse, this loss or losing him,'' CSUN interim head coach Jeff Kearin said of Arnold, the school's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. After the Matadors' 48-27 loss, Arnold walked off the Washington-Grizzly Stadium field with his right arm in a sling sling (sling) a bandage or suspensory for supporting a part. mandibular sling a structure suspending the mandible, formed by the medial pterygoid and masseter muscles and aiding in . Statistically, he had his worst game of the season, with four catches for 75 yards and one touchdown. Drew Amerson and Terrence Jones, who are second and third, respectively, on the team in receptions, combined for nine catches and 96 yards Saturday. Neither scored a touchdown. ``I've got three `favorite' receivers,'' CSUN quarterback Marcus Brady said. ``I've got 100 percent confidence in Drew and I've got 100 percent confidence in Terrence.'' Slip-sliding away: Most of the game was played under a constant rain, which made the footing precarious. Brady slipped a few times and so did CSUN tailback Jaumal Bradley. ``I don't think the rain played much of an issue,'' Kearin said. But Montana head coach Mick Dennehy, who said the Matadors are the most athletic team in the Big Sky Conference, didn't complain about the slick grass. ``I love Mother Nature,'' Dennehy said. ``I love her to death. At least I can't be accused of watering down the field.'' No revenge: CSUN lost for the third time in four games all-time against Montana, but until Saturday the series had been close, with the Matadors outscoring the Matadors 71-70 in those meetings. CSUN beat Montana 21-7 last year, holding the Grizzlies to their lowest point total in 78 games. But Montana had to play backup quarterback Sean Davis, who was 17 of 33 for 172 yards in his only start of the season. ``Last year's game was not a factor going into this year's game,'' Dennehy said. ``We didn't go down with a magnum, we went down with a popgun.'' Mark it down: Joe Gilliam Joe Gilliam (1950-2000) was an American football player. Biography Joseph Gilliam, Jr. (born December 29, 1950 in Charleston, West Virginia) was the third of four children for Ruth and Joe Gilliam Sr. , a freshman receiver, scored his first touchdown as a Matador matador In bullfighting, the principal performer, who works the capes and attempts to dispatch the bull with a sword thrust between the shoulder blades. Most of the techniques used by modern matadors were established in the 1910s by Juan Belmonte (b. 1894–d. early in the fourth quarter. Gilliam's 11-yard score was the highlight of his three-catch, 27-yard day. Gilliam entered the game with just four catches in two games. Making the call: Scott Himelstein, a Chaminade High graduate, made his debut as the play-by-play announcer for KCSN, the Matadors' flagship station In broadcasting, a flagship station is the station which originates a broadcast network, or a particular radio show or TV show, primarily in the United States and Canada. This includes both direct network feeds and syndication, but generally not backhauls. . CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box PHOTO (1) Matadors tailback Jaumal Bradley returned after missing the previous two games and rushed for a career-high 116 yards. (2) CSUN cornerback Karalus Doyle tries to stop Montana's Yo Humphrey, who ran for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Ann Williamson/Associated Press BOX: CSUN vs. Montana: A closer look (see text) |
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