VALLEY / VENTURA COUNTY SPORTS : Against Northridge, Kansas Plays It Straight

LAWRENCE, Kan. —  Who are these guys?

That’s what Kansas players wondered at the notion of playing Cal State Northridge. After a game against Notre Dame and before playing Colorado, the Jayhawks faced . . . Cal State Northridge?

“Never heard of them,” running back Henri Childs said. “I never knew about them until we saw them on film. But I know that we never overlook anybody.”

For quarterback Dylen Smith, who grew up in Southern California and transferred from Kansas from Santa Monica College, Northridge was a place put on the map by an earthquake.

Northridge never bothered to recruit Smith, who completed 13 of 15 passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns in the 71-14 blowout.

“I never talked to CSUN,” Smith said. “There are a lot of schools in L.A. We never paid too much attention to them. I hate to say that. I don’t have anything against them. All I knew going in is that they were 7-4 last year.”

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Although the rout was predicted by local media, Kansas players didn’t let those forecasts cloud their judgment.

“You never want to take anyone lightly and we didn’t,” Childs said.

Northridge players and coaches didn’t sense a lack of class from Kansas.

“They were not cocky,” Northridge fullback Jaumal Bradley said. “They said that we played them hard.”

“I think they respected us,” said Northridge interim Coach Jeff Kearin said. “There is some of that (Division) I-A vs. I-AA dynamic always. But everything was fine between us. They just exploited our weaknesses.”

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Ethan Beck might have a sore right foot after Saturday. Beck punted six times against Kansas, averaging 38 yards a punt. . . After returning four punts for 85 yards against Western Oregon and being named Big Sky Conference special teams player of the week, Terrence Jones returned one punt for minus-three yards. He collided on the play with teammate Chazz Moore.

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Saturday’s attendance of 33,300 was the second-largest crowd to watch a Northridge game. Northridge played before 40,872 against San Diego State in 1993.

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Northridge linebacker Kaleon Green’s petition for a sixth year of eligibility was denied by the NCAA this week. Green, who missed last season because of a broken leg, was a starter in 1997. Green missed three seasons since graduating from Crenshaw High in 1992 because of injuries and cancer.

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Northridge’s game at Kansas was the first of five scheduled broadcasts of Matador road games on campus radio station KCSN (FM 88.5). Home games will not be broadcast.