Panthers to Host Northern Arizona on Sunday

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IFL Bay Area Panthers

Panthers to Host Northern Arizona on Sunday

July 6, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Bay Area Panthers News Release


SAN JOSE - The Bay Area Panthers are one win away from clinching a first-round playoff game at home when the defending champions host the Northern Arizona Wranglers this Sunday.

The Panthers can secure the top overall seed if a win is combined with a Vegas Knight Hawks loss against San Diego Strike Force.

Bay Area (11-2) is coming off a second-straight two-point win, surviving with a 37-35 win at Vegas by returning a pair of two-point conversions and a missed field goal by the Knight Hawks in the final seconds.

Northern Arizona (8-5) has little margin for error, currently in the fifth spot in the Western Conference. The Wranglers have dropped two of three and while they are one-half game out of the final playoff spot, NAZ is only one game back of second place in the conference.

Back on May 11th in Prescott Valley, the Panthers left with a 39-36 victory in a high-level game with the defense making the difference. The Wranglers settled for field goal attempts on four possessions with two misfires. Shane Simpson scored four touchdowns to pace the offense - two rushing and two more scores as a receiver.

Bay Area will take the field with the eighth-best scoring offense at 44.7 points per game while NAZ allowed 48.2 points per game, ranking 14th in the league.

The Panthers have established themselves as a premier running team, ranking second in rushing yards at 110.3 yards per game, only behind Frisco. Daquan Neal is the top rusher among quarterbacks with 581 yards and 19 touchdowns. Against the run, Northern Arizona ranks 11th, allowing 78.3 yards per contest.

Last season, the Wranglers made the playoffs despite being the lowest-scoring team in the IFL. In 2024, Northern Arizona is fifth at 49.7 points per game and more of a threat through the air with the addition of quarterback Josh Jones. Through 13 games, Jones is the league's third-leading passer with 2,394 yards, 49 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. The rookie from UNC Pembroke also ranks third among quarterbacks in rushing yards, only behind Neal and TJ Edwards of Frisco. NAZ is third in passing at 185 yards per game while the Panthers are seventh against the pass at 140.8 yards per game.

Based on the numbers, the Wranglers will need to generate numbers with the pass against a stingy Bay Area defense that gives up only 59 rushing yards per game, only 1.1 yards away from the top mark in the league.

Kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m. Sunday, July 7th at the SAP Center in San Jose.

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