PHILADELPHIA – After going into halftime trailing for the first time all season, the Arizona Rattlers put together a huge fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Philadelphia Soul 64-57 on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center.
With 8:40 left to play in regulation, the Soul (5-5) held onto a 57-42 lead, but the Rattlers (10-1) rallied with 22 unanswered points to pull out the win. It started with a Nick Davila touchdown pass to Rod Windsor, who then ran it in for the two-point conversion to make it a seven-point ballgame.
The Rattlers went with an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, and it was recovered by kicker Garrett Lindholm, giving Arizona the ball back on its own 7-yard line. Five plays later, Odie Armstrong rushed it in for his third touchdown of the night. The extra point was good and tied the score at 57-all with just 49 seconds to play.
On the second play of the ensuing drive, Philadelphia QB Dan Raudabaugh tried to throw it out the back of the end zone but hit the net, and Marquis Floyd made the catch off the net for the interception, giving the Rattlers the ball back. Arizona marched down the field, and with just 12 seconds left, Davila rushed it in for the touchdown to put the Rattlers ahead. It was their first lead since the 6-minute mark of the third quarter.
Davila finished the game 28 of 48 for 362 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions, his most this season. Windsor and Tysson Poots had eight catches and two touchdowns apiece, while Kerry Reed scored the other through the air. Armstrong moved into ninth place on the Arena Football League's all-time rushing yardage list with his seven rushing yards and three scores.
Raudabaugh went 20 for 33 for 308 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. Tiger Jones was his top target on the night with eight catches for four scores, while Ryan McDaniel also found the end zone twice.
Arizona led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter. Davila collected the 400th passing touchdown of his career when he found Poots on the first drive of the second quarter to put the Rattlers up 21-7. But the Soul turned it on with a touchdown and then an interception and a blocked kick that were both returned for points to take a 29-27 advantage into the half.
The Soul returned another interception for a touchdown to start the second half only to see the Rattlers put up 15 unanswered points to take a 42-36 lead. Philadelphia would string together three scores in a row before Arizona put together its comeback.
