Weber St. 31, Northridge 14
OGDEN — After starting the season as the featured tailback, it didn't take long before freshman Jordan Miller found himself on the bench. The strong running of junior college transfer Johnnie Gray made the Toronto, Canada, native almost an afterthought.
But when Miller was given an opportunity to prove himself again Thursday night against Cal State Northridge, he made the most of it. While Gray sat out the game with a sprained ankle, Miller rushed for 176 yards and scored two touchdowns to help the Wildcats overcome their own confidence problems during a solid 31-14 victory over the Matadors before 8,812 fans at Stewart Stadium.
The win evened Weber's record on the season (3-3 overall, 2-2 Big Sky), snapped a two-game losing streak and gave WSU its 200th win since becoming a four-year school.
"This was a big win," said defensive lineman Joel Barrow. "We lose this game and that's it, we're playing for pride the rest of the season."
It was also the Wildcats' first, and last, victory against Northridge (1-4, 0-3) as a member of the Big Sky. The Matadors, who are leaving for the Big West next year, had beaten the Wildcats three straight times since joining the conference but couldn't complete the sweep.
"It was time to step up. We knew we had to run the ball to get back on track," Weber head coach Jerry Graybeal said. "(Miller) stepped up, . . . and I think he got better as the game went on, as all good running backs do."
Miller had just 65 yards rushing for the season entering the game, but he beat that mark by halftime as he carried the ball a Herculean 43 times overall.
"I'm tired," Miller joked after the game. "It's been a long time since I've gotten this many carries. It feels good, though."
He couldn't have picked a better time to return to his starting status, as Northridge entered the game dead last in the Big Sky in rushing defense. Allowing 282 yards per game, the Matadors weren't much better against Weber's league-worst rushing offense, which averaged a mere 78 yards an outing.
Quarterback Cole Cooper's evening was just as impressive as Miller's. The senior from Lehi completed 22-of-32 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns.
The Wildcats opened the game with a picture-perfect drive. With a good mix of plays, Weber State drove 80 yards on 14 plays for a 7-0 lead. Miller took a screen pass from Cooper and dodged a couple of tackles while going 14 yards for the score. Cooper completed 5-of-6 passes on the drive for 57 yards.
"It was a frame of mind knowing that you are going to get the ball and going down and (scoring)," said Cooper, adding that Weber wanted to start the game with the ball after being challenged by the coaches. "With (Northridge) coming here and getting down quick, they lose a lot of confidence which, if we jump on quick, we could end it."
Northridge's second fumble of the game led to Weber State's second score. The Matadors had been driving well, but quarterback Marcus Brady coughed up the ball after being hit by Weber's Randy Spencer at the Wildcat 25-yard line.
Cooper and Miller continued their strong play on the drive. Miller rushed the ball four times for 23 yards, while Cooper connected on all three of his pass attempts for 18, 17 and 17 yards. The last pass found John Jefferson on a crossing route in the end zone as Weber State took a 14-0 lead into halftime.
Brady had riddled the Wildcat defense the last two years, passing for more than 600 yards and six touchdowns. But his offensive line left him scrambling in the first half, and it took two big plays in the second half to help him finish with 285 passing yards for the game.
Penalties proved costly for the Matadors, who had been the least penalized team in the conference heading into the game. Northridge's best scoring opportunity in the first half came after the Matadors recovered a fumble at the Weber 24-yard line. A false start cost Northridge a first down, though, and kicker Derek Brown's 42-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright and bounced away.
Northridge finally, and quickly, got on the board late in the third quarter. Starting from his own 20, Brady completed a pass for 19 yards, then fullback Terrelus Wright scrambled for five yards after escaping a Weber tackle that would have dropped him for a loss. Brady audibled on the next play and caught D.J. Hacket on a quick-in route that he took 54 yards for a touchdown.
The Wildcats answered after Herb Craft returned the kickoff to the 43. Cooper later found Ryan Prince for 17 yards to the Northridge 20, then Miller took the Wildcats the next 20 yards by himself on four carries, the last going for three yards that put Weber State back up by two touchdowns, 21-7.
Cooper connected with Prince on an 8-yard TD pass for a 28-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, while kicker Mike Minnoch added a 32-yard field goal following a Matador touchdown with 3:30 remaining in the game.
E-MAIL: cliff@desnews.com