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Rattlers score last-second TD to beat Dallas
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Jeff Smoker hit Todd Devoe for a 16-yard touchdown with no time left on the clock as the Arizona Rattlers knocked off the Dallas Desperadoes 55-54 Saturday night in Dallas.
Devoe snagged the game’s final two catches as Arizona (5-6) drove 45 yards in 18.3 seconds to claim the victory over Dallas (9-2).
“This week, it was all about mindset; finish the ballgame,” said Rattlers coach Kevin Guy. “The players were starting to feel like they weren’t getting any respect around the league. Everyone answered the phone this week. The coaches did a great job, and the players made plays.”
The Rattlers snapped Dallas’ 17-game regular season home winning streak, the second longest in AFL history.
Devoe finished the game with six receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns.
Rattlers wide receiver Trandon Harvey hauled in 12 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns on offense and also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Harvey has now returned a kick for a touchdown in four of the last five games.
Arizona’s offense was paced by Smoker, who completed almost 65 percent of his passes for 350 yards and seven touchdowns. Wide receiver Siaha Burley caught 11 balls for 140 yards and two scores.
The Rattlers stopped the Desperados three times from inside the 2-yard line on Dallas’ first possession of the game, then held the Desperados without an offensive touchdown for the first 24:19.
With five regular-season games remaining and the Rattlers in second place in the Western Division and third in the American Conference, the team is still in position to fulfill the franchise’s preseason guarantee of a playoff berth.
Arizona hosts Grand Rapids (3-8) next Saturday at 7 p.m.
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