story by Tripp Reynolds

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Faulkner's passing attack exploded for the first time this season en route to a 69-51 win over Campbellsville here in this afternoon's Mid-South Conference West Division opener.

Campbellsville (1-4) scored on its first possession and kept the lead until deep in the third quarter, when Faulkner (3-2) running back Joe Jones punched in to the end zone from 1-yard-line to tie the game 41-41 with 5:38 on the clock. 

The Tigers jumped back on top when kicker Bradley Bates hit a 27-yard field goal with 1:09 remaining that same quarter, but Faulkner quarterback Clayton Nicholas connected with receiver Keithon Redding for a 74-yard touchdown strike on the very next play from scrimmage to catapult the Eagles into a permanent lead at the 48-44 mark.

Campbellsville got on the board first when quarterback Hunter Brown threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to receiver Zerric Willis with just under there minutes into the first quarter. 

The Tigers struck again when Brown hit receiver Tyus Alcorn for a 4-yard score just over a minute later, following a Redding fumble.

The Eagles finally found the end zone when Nicholas connected with receiver Rob Lockhart from 23 yards out with eight minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

Faulkner struck again when Nicholas hooked up with Redding on a 39-yard bomb with 7:59 to play in the second quarter, but missed the extra point. 

The Tigers returned fire a minute later on Brown's 66-yard touchdown strike to Alcorn. 

Jones notched his first score of the day on a 15-yard run with 2:34 left in the half. 

Campbellsville delivered twice more before halftime, however. The first score came in less than a minute when receiver Jordan Duff took Brown's pass 60 yards in for a touchdown and Bates punctuated the half with a 42-yard field goal to stretch the Tiger lead to 34-20.

The Eagles ignited the board again three minutes into the second half on an 11-yard Jones touchdown run. 

Nicholas then threw his third touchdown pass of the day, again to Lockhart, two minutes after a Campbellsville score to close the gap back to seven points. 

After taking the 48-44 lead, Jones scored his fourth touchdown of the day for Faulkner on a 4-yard run with 11:32 left in the game to stretch the lead to eleven. 

Austin Wilder delivered six points from the defensive side of play when he returned a Brown interception 75 yards for a touchdown. 

Brown found a bit of redemption 15 seconds later and capped his scoring performance with his sixth touchdown of the day, a 62-yard completion to receiver DaRon Osborne. 

Jones tallied the game's final score on another 1-yard run with three minutes to play.

Nicholas anchored the Faulkner offense with 517 yards through the air and four touchdowns. 

Jones was the Eagles' leading rusher, carrying the ball 16 times for 77 yards and five touchdowns. 

Redding led the receiving corps with 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns on six catches. 

Lockhart logged 143 yards on 13 catches and also had two touchdowns.

Terrance Sims added six catches and 126 yards in the game. 

Redding's and Sim's performances were both career bests.

Nate Black lead the Faulkner defense with eight solo tackles despite leaving the game early in the second quarter. 

The Eagles got interceptions from Wilder, Keylan Smith, and Josh Keys. 

Vandy Smith and Redding both contributed fumble recoveries. Smith's recovery came on a strip sack by Chris Casher, while Redding's was scooped on a muffed punt.

Campbellsville was paced by Brown's 618 yards and six touchdowns. His favorite target was Keanu Young who finished the game with nine catches and 114 yards. 

Alcorn had 87 yards and three touchdowns on just four catches.

Faulkner moved to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the West. The Eagles return home next Saturday to host fifth-ranked Reinhardt (Ga.). Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.