WEEK FIVE: GAME PREVIEWS & Live Streams
TUCSON SUGAR SKULLS AT GREEN BAY BLIZZARD – FRIDAY, MAY 21, 7:05 CT
Tucson Sugar Skulls open their 2021 season with a matchup against the Green Bay Blizzard on the road. This will be the first meeting against the Blizzard in franchise history.
Joining the Sugar Skulls in the 2021 IFL season is former NFL first-round draft pick, Matt Elam. Elam played 41 games over three seasons for the Baltimore Ravens, totaling 131 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception. The electric talent is playing his first season in the IFL, after having played in both the CFL and the XFL in prior years.
While Friday's game will be Tucson's season opener, Green Bay has already played four games in the 2021 IFL season, sporting a 2-2 record. The Blizzard's rushing attack ranks the third in the IFL, led by running back Kerrion Moore. Of the IFL teams that have played so far, Green Bay currently ranks fifth in rushing, with the least efficient passing offense in the league.
FRISCO FIGHTERS AT LOUISVILLE XTREME – SATURDAY, MAY 22, 6:05 P.M. CT
The Frisco Fighters won their season opener against the Spokane Shock, 36-33, in a game that came down to the final possession.
Like Frisco, Louisville also has a young team and a new coaching staff. This is both teams’ first season in the IFL, but the Xtreme are still looking for their first win as a franchise. Louisville is coming off a bye week and is armed with two veteran quarterbacks – Dalton Oliver and Bryan Hicks.
Oliver played the entire game in the Xtreme’s last outing against Green Bay. Oliver 19-of35 for 168 yards for three touchdowns and two picks. Oliver also recorded a rushing touchdown in the contest.
NORTHERN ARIZONA WRANGLERS AT BISMARCK BUCKS – SATURDAY, MAY 22, 6:05 P.M. CT
The Bismarck Bucks come into its week five matchup off their second victory over the Green Bay Blizzard, 58-45, and improved to 2-1 on the season.
Northern Arizona dropped its first game of 2021 and as a franchise to the Arizona Rattlers, 51-20.
DUKE CITY GLADIATORS AT IOWA BARNSTORMERS – SATURDAY, MAY 22, 7:05 P.M. CT
The Iowa Barnstormers started the 2021 season on the road with a dominant win over the Sioux Falls Storm.
The offense, led by IFL Player of the Week Daquan Neal, will return to Wells Fargo Arena for the first time since 2019 to battle the Duke City Gladiators. The heralded franchise is playing its first game as a member of the Indoor Football League.
ARIZONA RATTLERS AT SIOUX FALLS STORM – SATURDAY, MAY 22, 7:05 P.M. CT
Following their dominant season-opening win, the Arizona Rattlers (1-0) will visit the Sioux Falls Storm (0-1) on Saturday, May 22, setting up a matchup between the two winningest head coaches in arena/indoor football history.
On the heels of a 51-20 victory over the Northern Arizona Wranglers in Week 1, Rattlers Head Coach Kevin Guy earned his 212th career win in indoor/arena football, breaking a tie for second place on the game's all-time wins list. Guy had previously been tied with longtime Arena Football League head coach Tim Marcum at 211 wins entering the 2021 Indoor Football League season.
Sioux Falls Head Coach Kurtiss Riggs, who has spent the entirety of his coaching career in the IFL, is first all-time with 240 wins in arena/indoor football. Head-to-head, Guy leads the all-time series vs. Riggs, 5-3. The Rattlers topped the Storm in the 2017 United Bowl, while the Storm avenged that game with a win over Arizona in the 2019 United Bowl, leveling out the United Bowl Series, 1-1.
The Storm enter the game coming off losing their home-opener, 56-36, to the Barnstormers on May 15. Storm quarterback Lorenzo Brown threw 12-of-26 for 113 yards and two total touchdowns in his first game of the 2021 season. Featuring in the backfield with Brown, running back Nate Chavious had 11 rushes for 66 yards and three touchdowns.
SPOKANE SHOCK AT MASSACHUSETTS PIRATES – SATURDAY, MAY 22, 8:05 P.M. CT
For the first time in 665 days, the Massachusetts Pirates will return to action on Phoenix Field at the DCU Center as they host the Spokane Shock in the home opener.
Pirates QB Alejandro Bennifield has been impressive in his three games. He has completed 54.5 percent of his passes (36 of 66) for 411 yards with seven touchdowns and just one interception. He has also scored seven rushing touchdowns which leads the team. Bennifield ran for a season-high of four touchdowns in a game vs. Green Bay and threw for another earning him IFL Offensive Player of the Week in week two.
This week they face the Spokane Shock who saw a three-point lead disappear in the final ten seconds in a 36-33 loss to the Frisco Fighters in their first game of the season.
Shock running back Davonte Sapp-Lynch led the team on the ground with 11 rushing attempts for 47 yards and two touchdowns along with quarterback Charles McCullum who also recorded a rushing touchdown. Through the air, McCullum threw 18-of-31 for 141 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.