Menlo at Whittier - Game Stats

Menlo Season Stats

WHITTIER, Calif. - Air Bassett…Air Cavness…Air Ruhl? Menlo College's passing attack may not have a catchy moniker, but the Oaks got the end result they have been looking for all season thanks to a potent offense and opportune defense that teamed to knock off Whittier 28-24 on the road Saturday night in the team's final Northwest Conference tune-up.

Junior quarterback Nick Ruhl passed for 361 yards and three touchdowns - two to senior receiver James Bassett and one to freshman wideout Kenny Cavness - and ran for another score as Menlo tallied 14-straight points in the second half to take control of a tight ballgame. Bassett finally got the chance to flash his big-play ability, doing so to the tune of 208 yards on nine receptions. Not to be outdone, Cavness caught 10 passes for 109 yards and the game-winning score.

Menlo trailed 17-14 in the third quarter when Ruhl made his one mistake of the night, tossing an interception on a first-and-goal pass on the Oaks first possession of the second half. After Menlo linebacker Dylan Miller forced and recovered a fumble on Whittier's ensuing possession, Ruhl put trust in his own feet in order to put points on the scoreboard.

Ruhl completed a 13-yard pass to Cavness and an 11-yard throw to Brad Wilkinson with a 25-yard run of his own in between. On second-and-10 at the Poets 20 yard line, Ruhl rumbled all the way into the endzone for a touchdown that gave Menlo the lead for good at 21-17 with two minutes, 40 seconds left in the third quarter.

Playing with the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter, the Oaks defense stiffened to give the offense every opportunity to take the game by the throat. Menlo forced a three-and-out before Damien Girard recovered a fumble on the following Poets possession. Unfortunately, the Oaks offense returned the favor after Whittier's punt to start the fourth quarter and missed a short field goal attempt with a shade less than 10 minutes to play. Menlo then forced another quick punt and the offense knew what to do with the ball this time.

Starting at their own 45, the Oaks went to work through the air as Ruhl hit Bassett for a 19-yard pickup. Ruhl then connected with Cavness for 18 yards one play after losing yardage on a run for another first down to the Poets 24. Running back Angel Molina ran for nine yards on second down before squeezing through for a yard on fourth-and-one to keep the drive alive. With the ball at the Whittier 14, Ruhl looked to his favorite target, but missed Cavness on back-to-back pass attempts. The third time proved to be the charm, however, as Ruhl hit Cavness for a 14-yard score on third-and-10. Menlo led 28-17 with five minutes, 28 seconds to play.

The suddenly stagnant Whittier offense refused to go quietly when it got the ball back, moving 61 yards in four plays for a touchdown that trimmed the Oaks lead to 28-24 with three minutes, 25 second remaining. The Poets decided against trying an onside kick, but never saw the ball again. Ruhl kept the chains moving with a nine-yard completion to Cavness and an 11-yard hook-up with Bassett on third-and-long. With less than a minute to play and facing a fourth-and-six at the Poets 28, Ruhl hit Cavness for 14 more yards that allowed Menlo to take a knee on the next play and end the game.

Menlo started the game well, scoring first for the third week in a row. After Whittier missed a 42-yard field goal on the game's opening possession, Ruhl connected with Bassett for a 73-yard touchdown on the Oaks third play from scrimmage. The Poets answered with a seven-play, 65-yard scoring drive that tied the game and took the lead at 14-7 on a 67-yard pass from Alesana Sausau to Josh Ollison with just over 12 minutes left in the first half.

The teams traded punts over the next four possessions before Menlo showed its quick strike ability once again. Starting at the Poets 40 after a 13-yard Cavness punt return, Ruhl completed a short pass to the freshman receiver and then hit Bassett from 35 yards out to tie the game at 14 with three minutes, 21 seconds left in the half.

Whittier marched right down the field before Oaks defensive lineman Chris Tosello sent Sausau back for a seven-yard loss that forced a 40-yard field goal that ended the half.

Menlo trailed just 17-14 despite the Poets offense picking up 306 yards in the half. The Oaks defense limited Whittier to just 144 yards in the second half while forcing a pair of turnovers. Safety Beau Bussani led the team with 10 tackles while cornerback Boo Molinary had nine tackles, including one for a loss. Devon Jonsson had a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Menlo is now 1-3 overall heading into Northwest Conference play. The Oaks host Linfield (3-0) during Homecoming on Saturday at 12 p.m. Last season Linfield defeated Menlo 9-0 in both teams NWC opener in McMinnville, Ore. The Wildcats defeated Southern Oregon 37-21 on Saturday.