(Phoenix, AZ) The six-time World Champion Arizona Rattlers take their IFL-best offense south on Saturday to take on the Tucson Sugar Skulls, in what projects to be a shootout among the league’s two most potent offenses.
Arizona’s defense has also been dominant and is a major factor as to why they’re off to this convincing 6-0 start. They’ve allowed the fewest points per game at 24.5, and they’re the only team in the IFL to hold their opponents under 30 points per contest, with the next lowest coming at 32.7 by Northern Arizona.
Offense, offense, offense
Saturday shapes up as one of the most explosive games of the year in the IFL.
Arizona and Tucson rank within the top-three in the entire league in touchdowns scored, total points scored, points per game, average yards per play and yards per game.
Among these stats, the Rattlers rank first in each category except for total points scored, where Arizona ranks second and Tucson ranks third. The Sugar Skulls occupy second place behind the Rattlers in points per game yards per game, while coming in third place in total touchdowns scored and average yards per game.
Stars on both ends looking to shine
Individually, the stats for some players on both sides are just as impressive.
Rattlers quarterback and 2021 IFL MVP Drew Powell ranks first in the IFL in touchdowns passes in 2022 with 23, while Tucson quarterback Daquan Neal is right behind him in second place with 21.
Arizona wide receiver Braxton Haley ranks seventh in the IFL in receiving yards with 286. He bisects Tucson receivers Arthur Jackson and Quinton Pedroza, who rank sixth and eighth in the league with 296 and 261 yards respectively.
Haley and Jackson also rank in the top ten in receiving yards per game, while Tucson wide receiver Carrington Thompson replaces Pedroza on that list, slotting in at ninth, just ahead of Haley. Jackson ranks seventh in that category.
Finally, Powell has made his impact in 2022 on the ground and via the air. He ranks sixth in the IFL in rushing yards, just behind Tucson running back Mike Jones. Additionally, Powell’s completion percentage of 68.9% ranks second in the league behind Neal, who sits at 69.1% on the year.
Keep the streak
The Rattlers have never lost to the Sugar Skulls in the franchise’s history, having gone 7-0 against Tucson since its inaugural 2019 season. Arizona’s average margin of victory against the Sugar Skulls is 16.86 points, and the Rattlers have only allowed a final within one possession once against Tucson once, which came on June 8, 2019, when Arizona won 50-49.
Press Release courtesy of the Arizona Rattlers and Tucson Sugar Skulls – Brandon Dueñas
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