The 635-mile bus ride home promises to be an uncomfortable for Faulkner after a series of near misses late in the game resulted in a 28-26 loss to Ave Maria Saturday. Trailing 28-20 following a Gyrene touchdown with 14:45 to play, Faulkner put together a six-snap, 75-yard drive. Mason Blocker (SR/Covington, La.) connected with Jacob Pigg (JR/Fayetteville, Tenn.) for a 62-yard gain before a pair of Josh Gaines (SR/Birmingham, Ala.) rushes put the ball at the 1. Blocker capped the drive with a touchdown plunge, cutting the deficit to 28-26. The two-point conversion attempt resulted in a fumble, leaving the Eagles behind with 12:17 remaining.

A defensive stand on the ensuing Ave Maria possession set the Eagles up at their own 7. Blocker rushed for five yards ahead of a Charles Blackmon (SO/Faunsdale, Ala.) run for four. Blocker then hooked up with Isaiah Scott (FR/Linden, Ala.) for a 19-yard gain and a first down. Blocker later ran for 18 yards ahead of a Gaines pickup of 8. Passes of 14 yards to Pigg and 11 yards to Gaines got the Eagles all the way to the Ave Maria 30. Darren Cleary then stepped in front of a Blocker pass at the 15 yard line to effectively end the game.

Faulkner opened the scoring in the first quarter when DiJon Joseph (JR/Atlanta, Ga.) blocked a field goal attempt, allowing Malik Meadows (JR/Roanoke, Ala.) to scoop and score on it from 72 yards away. After Neino Robinson (FR/Century, Fla.) intercepted a pass at the Faulkner 1, Savohn Hunt drug Blocker tackled Blocker in the end zone for a safety, cutting the deficit to 7-2. The next possession capped off with a Kristian Marks pass to Kevon O'Connor for a 14-yard touchdown strike to put the Gyrenes up 9-7 with 9:07 left before half.

Blocker got the offense moving on the next possession, helping the Eagles to a seven-play, 65-yard drive that included a 45-yard pass to Pigg and ended with a 6-yard touchdown run by Blackmon. Faulkner saw the 14-9 lead go to 14-12 after a 42-yard Derek McCormick field goal with three minutes left until halftime. Two plays later, Faulkner's effort to add to that lead failed when Nate Edwards picked off a pass to help set up a McCormick field from 38 yards out.

Alvin Renteria (JR/Phenix City, Ala.) hit a 37-yard field goal with 9:06 left in the third quarter to put the Eagles up 17-15. After Ave Maria punched in a touchdown, Renteria connected on a field goal from 46 yards out to narrow the score to 22-20.

Faulkner turned the ball over four times in the game and amassed only 13 first downs. Pigg proved the standout on offense with 143 yards receiving on four catches. Daylon Fox (SR/Southaven, Miss.) recorded 12 total tackles to lead the defense while Alex Dawson (JR/Albany, Ga.) and Neino Robinson had an interception each.

Faulkner (3-4) plays its final home game of the season next Saturday at noon when it hosts Southeastern.