Defense, clutch finish lead Arizona Rattlers to season’s biggest win at San Diego

The Arizona Rattlers returned two interceptions for touchdowns, converted a key fourth down in the last minute and watched kicker Conor Mangan miss two field goals in the last two minutes to escape the San Diego Strike Force with a 47-46 victory Saturday night at Pechanga Arena.

“We played as bad on offense as I have seen in 15 years,” coach Kevin Guy said. “We have to coach better and we have to play better. We scored on defense twice tonight. I was almost ready to bring our defensive players over to play on offense.”

Dalton Sneed threw three touchdown passes, including a 7-yard pass to Isaiah Huston which turned out to be the game-winner with 16 seconds left. Dawson Evitts’ extra point broke a 46-46 tie.

But the Rattlers needed Mangan to miss a 30-yard field goal try as time expired to get to 7-4 on the season and seize fourth place in the Indoor Football League Western Conference by themselves.

The Strike Force (6-5) had a chance to score late in the first half, after Nate Davis drove his team to the Rattlers’ 5 with three seconds left.

But he overthrew his pass in the end zone, and Jarmaine Doubs Jr. intercepted five yards deep in the end zone and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown that gave the Rattlers a 34-21 lead at the break.

Sneed was intercepted three times, including the first play of the game that the Strike Force cashed in with an early 7-0 lead.

San Diego could have taken a nine-point lead with less than two minutes to play, but Mangan hooked a 28-yard field goal try.

In the final minute, Sneed’s 14-yard pass to Huston on fourth-and-6 gave the Rattlers a first down at 7. On the next play, Sneed went right back to Huston for his first TD. This was Huston’s first game back since early in the season when he suffered an injury.

Davis, who burned the Rattlers early in the season in a 55-45 win in Glendale, passed for 144 yards and four TDs but was picked off three times.

Winfrey’s interception late in the first half came right after CJ Odom fumbled the ball away into the end zone on a first-down run from the 2.

That led to Sneed’s 13-yard scoring pass to Corey Reed Jr. with 16 seconds left and a 27-21 lead. The point-after attempt was blocked.

“We found a way to win and we kept our poise,” Guy said. “We executed when we had to. I don’t want to take anything away from San Diego. They are a very good football team.

“We converted some fourth downs on the last drive. It’s a little different when there’s pressure to make those kids. I thought Huston gave us some great minutes when he was in the game.”

The Rattlers had eight stops in the game. They’ve won six of their last seven games and are only a half-game behind the Vegas Knight Hawks (7-3) and the Northern Arizona Wranglers (7-3) in the Western Conference. The Bay Area Panthers lead the conference at 9-1.

The Rattlers are back home Saturday night at 6:05 to play the Wranglers at Desert Diamond Arena.

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert