PHOENIX, AZ – The six-time world champion Arizona Rattlers will host their home opener at the newly renovated Phoenix Suns Arena, against against their in-state rivals, the Tucson Sugar Skulls on Saturday night at 5:10 p.m. Arizona time.

Power of Powell

Quarterback Drew Powell ran all over on the Green Bay Blizzard in Arizona's most recent game, rushing for 109 yards and three touchdowns. Powell was also effective in the passing game with 13 completions for 131 yards with a touchdown through the air.

Powell leads the IFL in rushing yards per game and is second in touchdown scoring. The dual-threat quarterback is also in the top-five in passing yards per game and has the best completion percentage of any quarterback in the league. 

Formidable Front Line

The Rattler's defensive line stood firm against the Blizzard in its last game, with Nik D'Avanzo racking up the Rattlers' fourth sack of the season. Four members of the defense have now tallied a sack on the season, which puts the Rattlers at fifth in the league in sacks.

Tyrell Pearson notched his first interception of 2021 against the Blizzard and returned it for 25 yards. He ended with two pass breakups and four total tackles. Larry Tharpe Jr. led the team in total tackles against the Blizzard with nine on the day, including three tackles-for-loss.

I-10 Tussle

Entering the Snake Pit with a record of 1-2, the Tucson Sugar Skulls are coming off of a loss in their home opener to the Iowa Barnstormers by a score of 33-13. The Tucson defense stood strong throughout the game, allowing the league's No. 1 offense to gain 213 total yards and two offensive touchdowns. Defensive back Mike Minter grabbed his second interception of the season, giving him an interception in two straight games. 

The Sugar Skulls' offense cooled down in their third game of the season, only scoring two touchdowns against the Barnstormers. The IFL's Week 6 Offensive Player of the Week, Demry Croft threw for 154 yards and a pair of interceptions in their home opener. Defending First Team All-IFL running back Mike Jones rushed for both of the Sugar Skulls' touchdowns in their most recent game. Entering this weekend's matchup, Sugar Skulls wide receiver Ryan Balentine is 49 yards away from becoming the IFL's all-time leader in receiving yards.

Tucson Sugar Skulls head coach Dixie Wooten is undefeated (4-0) in all-time matchups against the Arizona Rattlers, having coached all of those games at the helm of the Iowa Barnstormers. Wooten's most recent game against the Rattlers was an overtime winner in 2018. In that game, current Rattlers quarterback Drew Powell was playing for Wooten and the Barnstormers, when successfully completed a two-point conversion on the game's final play to defeat the Rattlers 69-68.

Wooten is currently in his first season as a member of the Tucson Sugar Skulls, whom the Rattlers are undefeated (2-0) against in two all-time matchups, both in 2019.

National Spotlight

The latest installment of the I-10 tussle between the Arizona Rattlers and Tucson Sugar Skulls will be nationally televised as the "IFL Game of the Week" on Stadium and WatchStadium.com. To accommodate a national audience, this matchup will kick off at 5:10 p.m., flexed by one hour from its original start time. The game will be Arizona's first at the newly renovated Phoenix Suns Arena, which underwent a $300 million renovation over the course of the last two years. Click here to purchase tickets to the Rattlers' home opener on Saturday.