2019 Intense Conference Championship Arizona Rattlers Game Preview
June 27, 2019 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Arizona Rattlers News Release
Arizona Rattlers quarterback Drew Powell throws against the Nebraska Danger
(Arizona Rattlers)
Phoenix - After finishing with their first undefeated regular season in franchise history, the Arizona Rattlers (14-0) now set their sights on capturing their seventh World Championship. The Rattlers will look to move one step closer to that goal on Saturday when they host the Nebraska Danger (8-7) in the Intense Conference Championship at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
This will mark the second time that Arizona has played a playoff game at Gila River Arena, as scheduling conflicts at Talking Stick Resort Arena forced the Rattlers to relocate the game to Glendale. The last time the Rattlers played at Gila River Arena was in 2016, their final year as a member of the Arena Football League, where they lost 56-42 to the Philadelphia Soul in ArenaBowl XXIX.
Both teams only faced each other once this season, with the Rattlers winning the regular season meeting 56-46 at Talking Stick Resort Arena on May 4.
Arizona and Nebraska have met in the playoffs one other time with a trip to the United Bowl on the line. The Rattlers defeated the Danger 62-36 in the 2017 Intense Conference Championship en route to their first IFL title and their sixth World Championship.
This game will feature the two most vaunted defensive lines in the Indoor Football League (IFL). Arizona led the league in sacks with 29, while Nebraska finished second with 27.
The Rattlers have been dominant on offense in the regular season, finishing first in the league in scoring, total offense, and rushing yards.
QB Drew Powell finished the regular season with 807 passing yards and 18 passing touchdowns, while also picking up 328 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, all this despite only joining the team in week 10. RB/WR Jamal Miles led the Rattlers in scoring with 24 total touchdowns, while WR Jarrod Harrington had the most all-purpose yards with 1,324.
While Arizona earned their spot with the best regular season record and a first-round bye, Nebraska punched their ticket to the Intense Conference Championship with a 45-40 win on the road over the Green Bay Blizzard (9-6) last weekend.
QB Tommy Armstrong led the Danger offense with four rushing touchdowns to go along with passing for 79 yards and a touchdown. RB Davonte Sapp-Lynch ran for 81 yards and had two touchdowns, including the game-winning score with 35 seconds left. WR Johnny Jackson IV, who spent the 2019 training camp with the Rattlers, led the Danger receivers with five catches for 42 yards.
In addition to leading the IFL in sacks, Arizona's defense also led the league in interceptions (21) and defensive touchdowns (eight). DB Allen Chapman tied for the league lead with six interceptions, while DL Nikolaus D'Avanzo finished second in the IFL with 14 tackles for loss.
The Danger held the Blizzard to 78 total rushing yards in their victory last weekend. LB Luke Stice led the Danger with nine solo tackles and two tackles for loss. DL Chris Martin had one forced fumble and DL Seyvon Lowry had a fumble recovery. Nebraska limited Green Bay to 10 points in the second half.
The Intense Conference Championship is set for a 6:00 p.m. Arizona time kickoff and can be seen live on YouTube.
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