TUCSON - The Tucson Sugar Skulls are searching for their 3rd playoff appearance in 4 seasons of operation. The obstacle standing in front of them is the Vegas Knight Hawks, who they host on Saturday night with a kickoff time of 6:05 pm in Tucson Arena. 

The Skulls left Prescott Valley with a pivotal road win against their in-state rival Northern Arizona Wranglers. A Julian Marcantel pick-six late in the 4th quarter sealed the deal for the Tucson win on the road to put them in an excellent position to secure a playoff spot.  

Skulls History 

The Tucson Sugar Skulls made the playoffs in 2 of their first 3 seasons entering 2023 and will look to make it 3 in 4 years with an appearance this season. 

The Sugar Skulls hold an all-time record of 29-27, so a victory would also give them their 30th win in franchise history. QB Ramone Atkins will look to guide the Sugar Skulls to a win against a Vegas squad that has struggled of late, dropping 5 straight games and falling to 4-9 after a 4-4 start to the season. 

Tucson holds a 3-0 all-time series lead over the Knight Hawks since last season when Vegas joined the IFL for their inaugural season.

Skull Strong

Tucson's defense has continued to shine and was a major reason the team was able to come away with a tough road win against the Wranglers last week. They are currently ranked 2nd in the IFL in points allowed per game at 40.6, only trailing Northern Arizona who sits at 39.0. 

Their offense currently ranks 9th in the league at 43.3 points per game, but given their defensive prowess their point differential on the season sits at +2.9 points per game. 

Hall Pass 

Skulls' kicker Michael Hall has been Mr. Automatic on extra point attempts, connecting on 28 of 30 PATs (95%) this season. That is good for the highest percentage in the IFL this season.