The Panthers put their undefeated record on the line on Sunday to face a Tucson Sugar Skulls team playing at home for the first time with a chance to make a statement against the defending IFL champions.
Going back to last season's title run, Bay Area has won seven straight games with the last loss at Frisco on June 24.
Lockdown defense took control in the second quarter of last week's win at Jacksonville. The Panthers came up with back-to-back stops, including an interception from Antwon Kincade. They outscored the Sharks 21-6 in the quarter and ended with four stops in a 48-24 victory. Jacksonville only put up six points in each period.
Former MVP Daquan Neal and Offensive Coordinator Dixie Wooten teamed up in Tucson in 2022 and will return to the desert for the first time together since leaving the franchise. Neal played for Vegas last season while Wooten joined the Bay Area staff. In 2022, the Skulls made the playoffs, finished third in scoring offense with Neal third in passing with over 2,300 yards and 50 touchdowns.
The Panthers lead the league in yards per game and Neal ranks third in passing. Neal has five TD throws with another three on the ground. Shane Simpson has four rushing scores along with two TD catches last week at Jacksonville.
This year's Tucson team has new leadership with Head Coach Billy Back and rookie quarterback Mylik Mitchell. With a small sample size, Tucson is the highest scoring team in the league with 52 points game. Mitchell has proved to be a legitimate dual threat as the league's third leading rusher along with eight touchdowns. He has four scoring passes with one interception.
Bay Area is after a second straight road win while Tucson is looking to re-establish a home field advantage. Last year, the Sugar Skulls went 3-5 at The Boneyard, including a 44-42 loss to the Panthers on May 27. Justin Rankin scored the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth and the Panthers turned back a two-point conversion try with 1:21 remaining to secure the win.
Kickoff is set for 3:05 Sunday in Tucson.
