Two seasons ago on Linfield’s march to the semifinals of the NCAA playoffs, Linfield made a regular season pit stop at Menlo that turned out to be a sloppy game. Despite three missed field goals and Aaron Boehme completing less than 40 percent of his passes on a super-windy day, Linfield pulled out a 31-7 win.
In the 2011 season, a similar situation presents itself for both schools: another road bump on the path to a title for one team, and a chance at a major upset for the other.
Fifth-ranked Linfield travels to Conner Field to take on Menlo on Saturday in a game that used to be a conference match-up until last season when Menlo went to the NAIA. Linfield is 6-0 on the season, 4-0 in Northwest Conference play. Menlo is 5-2 on the season. Saturday will only be Menlo’s third home game of the season.
“You always like to be at home,” Menlo coach Fred Guidici said. “It’s nice to not have to get on a plane, because that’s what we have to do all the time. It’s nice to be in warm California, and hope the weather’s in your favor.”
“The grass typically is lousy, the field goals have two sizes to them, they have no locker room; at halftime you’re out underneath an Oak tree with some chairs,” Linfield coach Joseph Smith said. “Other than it being like a camping trip experience, it’s a regular football game.”
Linfield brings one of the nation’s most prolific offenses to the table on Saturday. Using the up-tempo, no-huddle spread offense, Linfield averages 43.8 points and 455 yards per game.
The field general for the ‘Cat Attack is quarterback Mickey Inns, who has gone from an unknown coming into the season to being the top-rated passer in the Northwest Conference; Inns has completed 59 percent of his passes for 1411 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only three interceptions so far on the season.
“You hope that you can get a good pass rush, and put as much as you can on Mickey,” Guidici said.
While Inns and Linfield’s passing game gets most of the media and national attention, Linfield’s running game continues to be productive this season despite hardly ever using the zone-read option like they have been the last two seasons. Josh Hill has had a strong season in place of the often-injured Aaron Williams, rushing for 504 yards and six touchdowns with a 4.8 yard per carry average through six games.
“You have to load up inside, but then again, if you do that, they can get the ball outside,” Guidici said. “You’ve got to be mistake-free, and you got to make your assignments; that’s the best opportunity you’re going to have to slow Linfield down.”
Menlo’s defense should provide a stiff challenge for Linfield’s offense on Saturday. The Oaks give up 15.4 points and 287.1 yards per game on the season, and have forced 13 turnovers on the season.
“They’re keeping them in games and creating some turnovers, and they’re hard to sustain drives on,” Smith said. “They do a lot of man to man coverage, and they’re big and physical up front, very similar to Cal Lutheran.”
Menlo’s offense has had their ups and downs on the season, averaging 23.3 points and 276.3 yards per game on the season. Quarterback Matt Pelasasa leads the way for the Oaks, completing 55 percent of his passes for 1219 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions on the season. Wide receiver Adan Robert is the big-play threat for Menlo, leading the team with 43 receptions for 617 yards and nine touchdowns.
“They’re pretty solid at what they do,” Smith said. “They come out with that West Coast offense, and with all the Stanford-Walsh connections and the Cal connections that they’ve had over the years, It’s a difficult combination to face.”
Linfield’s defense enters the game among the nation’s elite, giving up only 7.8 points and 273 yards of offense per game on the season. Linfield also leads the conference with 17 turnovers forced on the season (12 of them being interceptions). The Wildcat defense also leads the Northwest Conference in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert only 18 percent of their opportunities.
“We just got to keep them off-balance,” Guidici said. “We just got to play assignment, mistake-free football, and we got to try to keep the defense guessing. That’s your best bet on a real good, disciplined defense like Linfield.”
Here are some keys to the game for both teams that will better their chances of winning if they follow them:
Keys to the game for Linfield:
-Play crisp and clean: Earlier in the season, Linfield looked as sharp as could be in their historic 73-7 win over Puget Sound before they looked dull as a butter knife the following week against a Pacific team similar to Puget Sound. Menlo’s team has a similar make-up to the Pacific Lutheran team that the Wildcats just trashed: good defense, mediocre offense. If Linfield can avoid the temptation to come out flat, we could have another dominant showing on our hands.
-Establish the run: With all the attention that Linfield’s passing game draws from opposing defensive coordinators, People forget that Linfield can run the ball efficiently. If Josh Hill can get over 100 yards on Saturday, Menlo’s defense will be in a world of trouble.
Keys to the game for Menlo:
-Establish offensive rhythm: Menlo has scored a combined 7 points on Linfield’s defense the last two seasons, and this season’s Wildcat defense looks better than the last two seasons’ units. If Menlo wants to have any chance at scoring, they’re going to have to convert on third-downs, and they’re going to have to find a way to soften up Linfield’s secondary, perhaps by establishing a running game.
-Force turnovers: The teams that have had success slowing down Linfield’s offense this season (Cal Lutheran, Willamette) have done so by forcing turnovers (Cal Lutheran forced two, and Willamette forced three). By forcing some turnovers, Menlo might become the first team to hold Linfield’s offense under 400 yards this season.
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