Menlo Season Stats

Game 5: Menlo College (1-3, 0-0) vs. No. 8 Linfield College (3-0, 0-0); Northwest Conference opener
Date/Time: Saturday, October 3rd, 2009; 12 p.m.
Location: Connor Field (1,000; grass); Atherton, Calif.

Last Week: Menlo defeated Whittier College 28-24 in Whittier, Calif.; Linfield defeated Southern Oregon 37-21 in Ashland, Ore.
Next Week: Menlo plays Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash., at 1 p.m.; Linfield plays Whitworth in Spokane, Wash., at 1 p.m. Both matchups are Northwest Conference games.

Radio: The game will be broadcast live over the Internet by KLYC radio in McMinnville, Ore. Click here to listen to the game via Stretch Internet, or go to www.linfield.edu/sports and click on the “CatsEyeView” link. To listen on your phone, dial 1-800-846-4700 and enter code 9712 for TEAMLINE’s pay-per-listen service.

Series History: In 10 games between the schools, Menlo has never beaten the Wildcats. Last season, neither team was able to put the ball into the endzone as Linfield shut out the Oaks 9-0 in McMinnville, Ore., also in a NWC opener. Linfield kicker Scott Birkhofer netted field goals from 32, 39, and a school-record 54 yards for the victory. The closest Menlo has come to beating Linfield was in 2000 when it was narrowly defeated 31-30 on the road.

What to Watch For:
MENLO
Offense - With the first victory of the season under their belt, the Oaks are hoping to carry that momentum into their homecoming game and Northwest Conference opener. Menlo’s offense is on the move after last week’s victory sparked by junior quarterback Nick Ruhl, who threw for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns while adding a 20-yard touchdown run. Ruhl was named the Northwest Conference Football Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week for his performance. Wide receivers James Bassett and Kenny Cavness continue to make big plays on offense, becoming key targets for Ruhl. Bassett has three touchdown receptions on the year while Cavness has a pair. Menlo’s ground game is fueled by the junior tandem of Peyton Bell and Angel Molina, who have combined for 195 rushing yards on the season.
Defense - The Oaks underappreciated defense stepped up again last Saturday, forcing three fumbles - recovering two of them - against Whittier. A pair of sophomores in the Oaks secondary has made its presence known to opposing offenses as safety Beau Bussani leads the team with 26 tackles while cornerback Boo Molinary is tied for second with 24. Senior linebacker Brett Klee has 24 tackles while Shawn Winters has 5.5 tackles for loss and Devon Jonsson has 4.5. The Oaks defense has sacked the opposing quarterback six times and made 30 stops in the backfield, but is still looking for its first interception.

LINFIELD
Offense - The Wildcats enter the game ranked No. 8 in the latest D3football.com Poll and have already posted an impressive win over then-No. 4 Hardin-Simmons, 37-22, at home to open their season. Linfield continued to make its presence known when it beat Occidental, ranked No. 21 at the time, 31-27 on the road. Linfield’s offense is averaging 35.0 points per game with a balanced attack, passing for 277.3 yards per game and rushing for 162.7. Junior quarterback Aaron Boehme comes into the game with a 66.7 completion percentage, seven touchdown passes and two interceptions. Two of Boehme’s favorite targets are sizeable senior wide receivers Chris Slezak (6-3, 200) and Trevor Patterson (6-1, 200). Sophomore running back Aaron Williams leads the Wildcats running game, averaging 83.3 yards per game to go along with three rushing touchdowns for the season.
Defense - Linfield’s defense is allowing just 117.3 rushing yards per game and 200.7 through the air. Sophomore safety Drew Fisher leads the defense with three interception, all of which came in the Wildcats victory over Southern Oregon a week ago. Fisher’s single-game school record for interceptions pushed Linfield’s total to seven picks through three games. Senior linebacker Alex Tkachuk is tied for the team lead in tackles with Fisher. Each player has totaled 18 on the season.

- Jefferson Bradshaw, Menlo College Sports Information Intern