What now? Through the season's first six games, the one undefinable variable for Rob Gray's Faulkner team was how it would respond after a loss. The Eagles were 6-0 going into the ranked clash with Appalachian Division juggernaut Reinhardt. Gray wondered, aloud at times, how his team might handle defeat. The answer to that question began to round into focus this week. 
"The first loss feeling hasn't been a pleasant one. But we can't allow that loss to Reinhardt to ruin the rest of the year for us," Gray said. "That's a really good football team and we made some mistakes that we haven't made all year and you have to give credit to them for making us do so. I think we've had a really good week of practice and I'm ready to see how we respond going forward." 
"It's an opportunity to see how our guys are going to respond," offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator Jordan Cagle said. "Are we going to come back after a tough loss like we had last week? Are we going to play up to our potential or are we going to turn it in for the season?"
For No. 19 Faulkner, the hope of inclusion in the NAIA's 16-team playoff field is far from dead. That reality enhances the importance for the Eagles to travel well this week against a team that is 0-7 and much better than its record. 
"(The players) understand what is at stake these next three games. Now the playoffs are kind of out of our control," co-offensive coordinator Payton Wasden said. "We've preached to them that we need to do what we can control and focus on that and kind of see where the dice fall. We really need to dominate these next three weeks."
 
SCOUTING REPORT 
 
Through six games, Cody Braden has completed 50 percent of his passes across 122 attempts for WIU. The Orange City, Fla. native has thrown for 715 yards and rushed for 108 so far. He has also found a connection with junior wideout Jacob Moss, who has hauled in 25 passes for 331 yards and four touchdowns. While Moss leads all Webber receivers in every statistical category, WIU has seven other pass catchers that have a chunk play of 17 yards or more on the season. Additionally, Webber has a talented running back in senior Tremon Bright. He has rushed for 533 yards this season, averaging just shy of four yards per carry. 
 
Defensively, Webber has three players that have amassed at least 40 total tackles. That trio is led by defensive backs Devonte Harris and Joseph Burton. 
 
"They run a 3-3 stack for the most part. They kind of present some different blitzes and guys coming with pressure from different areas than what we typically see," Wasden said. "We've had to prepare for a couple of different things. We've added a couple of wrinkles that will, hopefully, be able to produce for us." 
 
For Faulkner, there will be more than just a few reps doled out to players who lack a lot of game experience. The rising number of injuries at this juncture in the season is forcing the issue for the Eagles. 
 
"We're really going to be relying on some of our players that have less game experience. It is going to be a good opportunity for them and a good opportunity for us to see what they do in those pressure situations," Cagle said. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS 
 
7 – Total number of meetings between these two programs. Faulkner leads the lifetime series 5-2.
 
12 – Consecutive losses by Webber International, a streak the Warriors will be eager to break. 
 
52 – Total tackles by Alex Dawson, the Eagles' leading tackler and the reigning Appalachian Division Defensive Player of the Week.
 
263.6 – Total yards per game for the Webber offense. Comparatively, the Warriors have allowed 409.6 yards per contest through their first seven games. 
 
430.7 – Average yards of total offense per game for the Eagles. 
 
THROW OUT THE RECORDS
 
Faulkner is getting off the bus Saturday to take on a team that has lost 12 straight games and is facing a ranked opponent for the fifth time in eight games this season. The slate includes Georgetown and Keiser as well as unbeaten St. Thomas and the No. 1 team in the nation, reigning national champion Lindsey Wilson. Webber has faced the very best in the country and found themselves in many of those contests late in the game. 
 
"Their record does not do a good job of reflecting them. They are very capable of beating us and we're not overlooking anyone. Offensively they will challenge us to be disciplined and to trust that the guy next to us is doing their job," Gray said of the matchup.
 
For Faulkner, it sets up as the proverbial "trap game". Just a week after the Eagles suffered an emotional road loss to Reinhardt, they are forced to board a bus and travel more than 500 miles to face a team that is 0-7. Psychologically, it is a dangerous trek for a team in need of turning in impressive performances down the stretch as it hopes for a playoff berth. 
 
"They've got really good players. They're a lot better team than what their record will display. They've been in every ball game at least through the first half. A couple of them have been where they lost late," Wasden said. "We need to go in and dominate from the start and carry that on for four quarters." 
 
"Just from what we know about Webber is that they're an extremely scrappy team. They beat us the last time we played them in the final two minutes of the game when we had been up the whole time. They will be hungry for a win. They're going to be scrappy. They will be a team that fights four quarters," Cagle added. "They're super eager. It's one of those situations where you're having to remind everybody we don't play Monday. We've got to play Saturday. We're going to take the steps that we always do. We're going to focus on us getting better at what we do and then prepare for that game at the end of the week. Emotions can run high after a big win or a big loss. Kind of helping everybody even back out is one of the things that you have to do." 
 
Faulkner (6-1) and Webber International (0-7) kick off at 12:30 p.m. CST Saturday. The game is available for viewing here: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/webber/.