Box Score TUCSON - A slow start doomed the Sugar Skulls again, as they fell behind 21-6 early in the 2nd quarter of action and while they battled back, they couldn't quite get over the hump.

Tucson now stands at 1-3 on the season and sit a half game back from the 4th and final playoff spot out West. 

Neal is dealing

The offense certainly has not been the issue for the Sugar Skulls, as former IFL MVP Daquan Neal has been electric throughout the season. In Saturday's contest he tallied six total touchdowns (three passing, three rushing). He connected on 12 of his 17 pass attempts for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns with zero interceptions against the Gladiators. On the ground, he rushed for 39 yards on 10 attempts to go with 3 scores. The dual-threat quarterback continued to display why he's one of the best in the IFL at picking apart defenses. 

Offensive Output 

The high-scoring affair was not unfamiliar territory for the Sugar Skulls, as they have been putting up 50 points per game which is the second-most in the IFL only behind the Arizona Rattlers.

Another bright spot this season has been the production from Mike Jones, who has 8 rushing touchdowns which is tied for first in the IFL despite Tucson playing one less game than most teams. 

Defensive Struggles

Tucson has now allowed 124 points in their last two games against San Diego and Duke City. While they've only lost by a combined 6 points in the two games, that has more to do with the offensive output keeping them in games. 

They allowed 291 passing yards to Duke City quarterback Ramone Atkins. Atkins threw for seven touchdowns as well, completing an aerial assault on the Skulls. 

Their defense is allowing the second-most points per game at 54.8, with only Iowa (60.8) allowing more than the Sugar Skulls. 

Tucson will look to bounce back on Saturday as they host the Northern Arizona Wranglers at home. Kickoff is at 6:05 PM at the Boneyard.