O J Ojomoh

Robert Trice always knew there would be a night like this. His chronically strained hamstring prevented it last season and Cal State Northridge's run-and-shoot offense and formidable schedule prevented it early this season. But there was nothing standing in Trice's way Saturday night. Given the ball, the blocking, and a secondary that could not match his speed, Trice set a school record by rushing for 259 yards in 23 carries as the Matadors trounced Sonoma State, 39-0.

As the clock ticked down, Cal State Northridge edged closer to making a name for itself in the Division II football ranks. But the pass into the end zone that would have given the Matadors the chance to upset Division I Cal State Fullerton was intercepted by Titan cornerback Darrius Watson. Its last drive thwarted with 1 minute 25 seconds to go, Northridge fell, 17-10, before a crowd of 2,921 Saturday at Santa Ana Stadium.

Only hours before his college football season ended prematurely, Coley Kyman was growing weary of his jet-set life. What Kyman envisioned as a glamorous lifestyle had turned out to be a tedious exercise in waiting--at ticket counters, baggage claims and airport curbs. Before Kyman recovered from lengthy trips with the U.S.

The Cal State Northridge defense learned once again Saturday night that it has to carry the team. The offense certainly didn't come to the rescue in a 29-17 loss to UC Davis before 4,200 at Toomey Field. Northridge quarterback Marty Fisher was sacked six times and four of his passes were dropped. Moreover, the Matadors were limited to 28 yards rushing in 36 carries. "The defense isn't always gonna win the games," Fisher said. "When they struggle we have to pick up the slack and we didn't.

A tumultuous week that included protests, suspensions and a boycott of practice concluded Saturday night in the Silver Bowl with an additional surprise for the Cal State Northridge football team. The Matadors won, downing Nevada Las Vegas, 24-18, in a nonconference game for their first victory over an NCAA Division I-A team since 1976, when they defeated Cal State Fullerton.

While the Cal State Northridge football team played in front of its fans for the first time this season, a few former players carried signs implicating Coach Bob Burt as an overseer and a pimp. "That made us look bad," said wide receiver Saadite Green, an African-American. "That is saying we are slaves and hookers." The signs, carried by members of the Black Student Athletes Assn. on Saturday night at North Campus Stadium, protested the lack of financial support for Northridge student-athletes.

Cal State Northridge Coach Bob Burt's reaction to taking his team--17 scholarships and all--against San Diego State, a team with 88 scholarship players, including Heisman Trophy candidate Marshall Faulk? "I feel a little bit like Wile E. Coyote because the Roadrunner has these little traps for me everywhere I turn," Burt said. The trap was set when Cal State Fullerton dropped football last December. Both Northridge and San Diego State had the Titans on their 1993 schedule.

What was stripped to bare bones, nearly axed, saved, and then expected to compete against Heisman Trophy candidate Marshall Faulk and his San Diego State teammates? Those who answer "Cal State Northridge football" are correct, but there is no prize available from its shoestring budget. Simply being around is reward these days. Since Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton dropped football, Northridge is the only Division I program in the Southland other than USC and UCLA.

It is an odd way for a football team to come onto the field, but Pierce College's hand-in-hand march from the locker room to the sideline before each game seems to be working. The Brahmas (4-1-1) are off to their best start since 1984. The hand holding might not project a macho image, but Coach Bill Norton believes that a purpose is served. "It's to show unity and togetherness," said Norton, who is in his first season as head coach.

Cal State Northridge's student newspaper discounts rumors that Marshall Faulk will gain 1,000 yards against the Matadors. Instead, the Daily Sundial predicts the Heisman Trophy candidate will run for a mere 500 yards. It is Northridge's Mission Impossible to stop Faulk on Saturday night at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium in the opener for both teams. The Matadors do not want to be the team that allows the junior from San Diego State to regain his NCAA single-game rushing record.