San Diego Travels to Bay Area for Game with Big Playoff Implications
July 10, 2023 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
San Diego Strike Force News Release
Heading into the final game of the Week 17 schedule, both the Bay Area Panthers and San Diego Strike Force are squaring off with playoff implications in the Western Conference.
In the first meeting, Bay Area escaped with a 54-51 win in San Diego on April 30, coming back from 11 points down in the second quarter. There were four lead changes in the fourth quarter-the final change when JT Stokes caught a one-yard pass from Dalton Sneed as time expired. The score capped a textbook use of the clock on the last drive to secure the first road win in franchise history.
The game marked the Strike Force debut of quarterback Nate Davis following the trade from Duke City. The former 49er shredded the Bay Area defense for 231 yards and five touchdowns. Kentrez Bell was his favorite target with 11 catches for 150 yards and three scores. Applying pressure to make Davis uncomfortable will be critical. Allowing the league's best pure thrower to pick apart a defense is a recipe for disaster with the QB basically serving as the offensive coordinator. The run game was not a factor, gaining only four yards on five carries.
The effort on the ground was not an anomaly-in the loss to Arizona, the Strike Force ran the ball only five times for 22 yards. Backup quarterback Rudy Johnson had 10 of those yards on three carries in the fourth quarter. In a two-point loss to Northern Arizona, the Strike Force ended with zero rushing attempts. For the year, San Diego is last in rushing yards per game with the fewest attempts per game.
Meanwhile, the Strike Force is the top passing team in the IFL with 200 yards a game through the air. Bay Area is ranked 11th against the pass but fifth in scoring defense. There will be no surprises with Davis putting the ball up. Defensive success will come down to applying pressure and the DBs covering at a high level. Bell has been Davis' favorite target with 72 catches to lead the league-22 touchdowns also tops in the IFL.
Dalton Sneed has 39 TD passes with only three interceptions, leading the league with the fewest interceptions for quarterbacks with more than 65 throws. Justin Rankin is second among running backs in rushing and leads all backs with 30 scores on the ground.
The Strike Force is 5-8, one game out of the final playoff spot and needs to win their last two games and have Northern Arizona fall to the Rattlers on the road. San Diego has won three of five and gave Arizona a run before a last-ditch onside kick was recovered by the Rattlers to preserve the win.
The Panthers are 8-5 and have already secured a playoff spot and would earn a first-round home game with a Monday victory. In order to get the top seed in the West, Bay Area needs to win the final two games and have Arizona lose to Northern Arizona following a bye.
Indoor Football League Stories from July 10, 2023
- Storm Clinch Playoff Spot After Win in Iowa - Sioux Falls Storm
- Steamwheelers Advance to Playoffs After Defeating the Blizzard - Quad City Steamwheelers
- San Diego Travels to Bay Area for Game with Big Playoff Implications - San Diego Strike Force
- Tucson Clinches Playoff Berth After Defeating Duke City - Tucson Sugar Skulls
- Panthers Partner with PIVOT Agency - Bay Area Panthers
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