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Saturday, March 29, 2025 | San Diego, CA | Kickoff: 7:00 PM PT - Wilson Stadium
The WNFC season opener features a battle between two teams with contrasting trajectories. The San Diego Rebellion enter 2025 looking to get to another IX Cup Championship game after a perfect 6-0 regular season in 2024 was upended by the Texas Elite Spartans in the Western Conference Finals. The Utah Falconz, one of the league’s historically dominant franchises, find themselves in unfamiliar territory, recovering from a 3-3 season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time.
Can Utah pull off an early-season shocker and prove they are still a force to be reckoned with? Or will San Diego reaffirm their status as a title contender?
San Diego Rebellion: The Standard of Dominance
Offense: Balanced but Ground-Heavy
The Rebellion owned the second-highest scoring offense in the WNFC (27.5 PPG), trailing only the Washington Prodigy. Their success stemmed from a punishing ground attack that ranked third in rushing yards (132.7 YPG), powered by Melina Malaxos (488 yards, 3 TDs) and dual-threat QB Danny Trainor (188 yards, 5 TDs).
Through the air, San Diego wasn’t the flashiest, finishing sixth in passing yards (72.3 YPG), but Trainor’s seven passing TDs tied for third in the league. The receiving corps, led by Katie Claxton (99 yards, 1 TD) and Nisha Taylor (61 yards, 3 TDs), is efficient.
Defense: The League’s Best
San Diego boasted the top defense in the league, allowing a mere 4.3 points per game, an absurdly low total over six games. The Rebellion had defensive playmakers at every level, including WNFC Defensive Player of the Year, Katie Claxton (38 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 2 INTs) and Brittani Lusain (27 tackles, 4 forced fumbles). Their ability to force turnovers and make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks (2nd in the WNFC in sacks) makes them a nightmare matchup for Utah’s struggling offense.
Utah Falconz: Can They Get Back to Contention?
Offense: Searching for Consistency
Utah had the seventh-ranked offense (17 PPG) but struggled to find rhythm, rotating quarterbacks Laura Goetz (223 yards, 1 TD) and Sara Galica (170 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs). Their passing attack finished seventh in the league (65.5 YPG), meaning they must find a way to threaten San Diego’s elite secondary.
On the ground, the Falconz were a top-four rushing team (125.8 YPG), led by Madeline Murphy (246 yards, 3 TDs, 7.9 YPC) and Gina Magana (230 yards, 5.3 YPC, 1 TD). If Utah hopes to compete, they’ll need to lean on their run game and avoid third-and-long situations against San Diego’s suffocating pass rush.
Defense: Stout but Stretched
The Falconz defense ranked tenth in the WNFC (14.5 PPG allowed) and had a couple of stars in Ally Cleveland (39 tackles, 4 TFLs) and Laura Goetz (36 tackles, 5.5 TFLs). However, Utah’s inability to pressure quarterbacks consistently (just 2.5 sacks for team leader Jadacee Vick) could be a problem against a well-balanced Rebellion offense.
How They Stack Up: Key Statistical Matchups
Category | San Diego Rebellion | Utah Falconz | Advantage |
Points Per Game | 27.5 (2nd) | 17.0 (7th) | San Diego |
Points Allowed | 4.3 (1st) | 14.5 (10th) | San Diego |
Total Yards/Game | 205 (3rd) | 191.3 (5th) | San Diego |
Rushing Yards/Game | 132.7 (3rd) | 125.8 (4th) | Even |
Passing Yards/Game | 72.3 (6th) | 65.5 (7th) | San Diego |
Turnovers Forced | 12 INTs, 7 Fumble Recoveries | 5 INTs, 3 Fumble Recoveries | San Diego |
Sacks | 9 (2nd) | 5 (T-8th) | San Diego |
Utah may be able to keep things interesting early with their strong running game, but they will need a breakout performance from their QBs to move the ball effectively against San Diego’s brick-wall defense. Key Matchups to Watch
1. Rebellion Run Game vs. Utah’s Front Seven
San Diego’s offense flowed through Malaxos, who finished second in the league in rushing (488 yards). Utah’s run defense gave up over 125 yards per game last season, meaning stopping Malaxos is priority No. 1.
2. Utah's QB Duo vs. San Diego’s Secondary
If Utah falls behind early, they will need to throw the ball to keep up. That’s a problem against Katie Claxton (2 INTs), Nisha Taylor (3 INTs), and Brittani Lusain (4 forced fumbles), who led a ball-hawking defense that forced the second-most turnovers in the league.
3. San Diego’s Pass Rush vs. Utah’s Offensive Line
Utah’s pass protection will be tested by Knengi Martin (2 sacks) and Sabrina Kessler (1.5 sacks). If Utah’s QBs don’t have time to throw, this could get ugly fast. X-Factors
San Diego: QB Danny Trainor’s Efficiency
Trainor had seven passing TDs (tied 3rd in the WNFC), and completed 39.2% of her passes. If she is more accurate, Utah will have a hard time keeping up.
Utah: Madeline Murphy, the Breakaway Threat
The only RB in this game to average over 7.0 YPC, Murphy must break off big plays if Utah wants a chance at an upset.
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