CSUN Must Stop Run

Jim Fenwick, Cal State Northridge’s first-year football coach, is at wits end with the Matadors’ showing on defense.

“Right now, I’m pretty fed up with the [way opponents] run against us,” Fenwick said. “We are not playing with the passion that I like defensively.”

The Matadors (2-3, 0-1 in Big Sky Conference play), who gave up 250 yards rushing to Portland State redshirt freshman Charles Dunn on Saturday, are allowing 210.8 yards per game on the ground, worst in the conference.

Fenwick previously conceded that Northridge was gearing toward the pass-oriented Big Sky, which might have left the Matadors vulnerable to the run.

“Maybe I’ve had a misconception of the Big Sky Conference, thinking all these teams are going to pass and not run the ball,” Fenwick said.

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Portland State (1-4, 1-2) made 12 tackles for a loss, including three sacks of Josh Fiske, two on linebacker blitzes.

Toma Popescu, Northridge’s right guard, said the Matadors didn’t have the proper footwear to play on the rain-soaked artificial turf at Civic Stadium.

“But there’s no excuse for the three sacks, not at all,” Popescu said.

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Northridge dropped from 31 to 51 in The Sports Network’s Division I-AA poll.