Menlo vs. No. 23 Occidental - Game Stats

ATHERTON, Calif. - It was a disappointing start to the Fred Guidici era as Menlo College fell victim to a pair of big plays in the third quarter and lost 17-0 to No. 23 Occidental on Saturday afternoon at Connor Field.

With control of the game waiting to be taken in the third quarter it was the visiting Tigers who took the game between their teeth and wouldn't let go. Occidental scored on a 53-yard completion from senior quarterback Scott Saunders to wide receiver Jordan Washington that traveled all of a few yards in the air midway through the quarter, and defensive back Aaron Stanton snagged a tipped pass out of the air and returned it 70 yards for the nail in the Oaks coffin little more than five minutes later.

To that point it was Menlo's capable defense that had made things interesting against an Occidental team coming off a one-loss season which culminated in an NCAA Div. III Playoffs loss and Top 20 ranking. The Oaks limited the Tigers offense to three points in the opening half and only 274 total yards on the day, but it was Washington's big play featuring a number of missed tackles that put Menlo in a real hole.

Sophomore cornerback Boo Molinary led the stout Oaks defense with 10 tackles, including one for a loss, while linebacker Devon Jonsson finished with eight tackles, two of which were in the backfield. Linebacker Justin Weise and defensive lineman Chris Tosello each had a sack. Menlo limited the Tigers rushing attack to 80 yards on 39 attempts, but allowed Saunders to complete 19-of-26 passes for 194 yards.

The Oaks offense ventured into Occidental territory four times on the day with each trip coming when the game was well within their grasp. Menlo used a 37-yard Shaun Souza scamper on its first play after falling behind 3-0 to move to the Tigers 41 yard line. A short Payton Bell run and three incomplete passes by Nick Ruhl later and Occidental had the ball, content to run out the first half.

On their first drive of the second half, the Oaks hinted at making a dent in the scoreboard again. Ruhl completed a pair of six-yard passes to receiver Jose Avina before Bell ripped off runs of 11 and 14 yards. On second-and-10 at the Occidental 41, Ruhl floated a pass that was intercepted by Stanton.

Menlo would fall behind 10-0 with eight minutes, 33 seconds left in the quarter on Washington's zig-zag catch and run through its defense, but made offensive headway once again late in the quarter.

Facing a third-and-nine on their own seven yard line, Erik Rasmussen made a sensational diving catch on a ball lofted down the sideline by Ruhl for a 31-yard gain. Lifted suddenly by Rasmussen's snag and an ensuing personal foul penalty on the Tigers, Menlo was back at Occidental's 41 following a grinding six-yard run by Bell. That's where hope died for the day, however, as Ruhl's pass one play later was tipped and intercepted by Stanton. The defensive back had open field in front of him and raced 70 yards untouched for a 17-0 Tigers advantage with three minutes, two seconds to go in the third quarter.

Bell and Souza combined to give the Oaks an effective one-two punch in the backfield that had been sorely lacking in recent years. Bell ran the ball 15 times for 62 yards while Souza picked up 58 yards on six carries. Ruhl completed 13-of-29 passes for 83 yards, but was slowed by three interceptions. Occidental did not turn the ball over.

While Menlo may want to forget its 2009 season opener, the game did prove to be a historic occasion. Head linesman Terri Valenti and line judge Catherine Conti became the first two female officials to work a college football game in the western half of the United States during Saturday's game.

Menlo (0-1) will look for its first win next Saturday at 7 p.m. at Chapman in Orange, Calif. Occidental (1-0) has a bye before hosting the Oaks' Northwest Conference foe Linfield on Sept. 19.