Rob Gray's team faced its longest stretch of adversity to-date last week when it trailed by 11 at Bluefield in the first half. With very little going Faulkner's way, Kade Young engineered a near flawless two-minute drive to cover 62 yards in six plays before capping the possession with a touchdown just before halftime. The result marked a turning point in the game for the Eagles but the drive itself stood as one of the most recent reminders of the ability of Faulkner's veteran signal-caller. 
 
"We know about his composure. He's pretty even keel. I think that's always a positive thing, especially with somebody that's at the helm of the offense. He really showcased his ability in this last game," Jordan Cagle, co-offensive coordinator for Faulkner, said. "He was able to run. He was able to throw. He was able to make the right decision. We ran the power read 15 times or something like that. We really just put it on him and said, 'Hey, make this read, give it to this guy if it's open. If it's not, get what you can get.' He did a good job in the run game and in the pass game." 
 
Young turned in one of the more remarkable performances of his career in the contest, passing for 328 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 106 yards and another score. The performance earned him the fourth MSC Appalachian Division Offensive Player of the Week honors of his career and second of the season. Moreover, it continued to underscore the respect Young's tenacity garners him within the locker room and the coaching staff. 
 
The Eagles will follow Young into the skirmish again Saturday as they welcome the Point Skyhawks to Billy D. Hilyer Stadium. For Faulkner, the game is about building upon the 4-0 start to the season while Point will look to win consecutive contests for the first time since Nov. 2, 2019. 
 
SCOUTING REPORT
 
Head Coach Rob Gray identifies Point's sheer athleticism as one of its greatest weapons, noting that the Skyhawks have uncanny explosiveness at numerous positions on both sides of the ball. 
 
"They're really athletic defensively. They've got tons of athletes on both sides of the ball. They can definitely run with our guys and the speed we have on the outside," Gray said. "Offensively, the quarterback that they have being mobile gives us a problem. They've got a big 6-7 receiver split out wide who is also going to give us a matchup issue. Their overall team athleticism will give us fits."
 
That defensive athleticism has allowed the Skyhawks to generate 21 tackles for loss, six fumble recoveries, three interceptions and 14 pass break-ups through five games including two contests against NCAA Division I foes. 
 
Co-Offensive Coordinator Payton Wasden circled the Skyhawk defensive line as one of the most impressive units on the team's roster. 
 
"I think their D-line is really strong. They've got some guys on there that can be disruptive," Wasden said. "They've got some guys that can kind of control that line of scrimmage and present some problems in the backfield. Not everybody in this league has one guy like that. I think they've got several." 
 
Additionally, Point's second wave plays sideline to sideline and has shown the ability to get out and make open field tackles. That impresses upon Faulkner's edge players to make plays even without touching the ball. 
 
"Their speed at linebacker is also really impressive. We're going to have to do a really good job on the perimeter blocking on our screen games," Wasden said. "We're going to have to try and get stuff going on the outside and try to keep those guys moving a lot with our tempo. We'll try to get them tired as the game goes on." 
 
BY THE NUMBERS
 
4 – Number of Faulkner players with multiple interceptions this season.
14.6 – Points per game by the Skyhawks this season. That's a little bit of a deceptive average considering Point opened the year against NCAA Division I foes Mercer and Morehead State before taking on Sun Division squads Ave Maria and Keiser. The Skyhawks had far and away their best outing in last week's 38-35 win over St. Andrews.
 
30 – Total tackles by Eagles' category leader "Hitman" Alex Dawson.
 
39 – Total tackles by Buford, Ga. native and Reinhardt transfer Aaron Anderson, who paces his squad in the category.
 
60.29 – Completion percentage for Kade Young through 136 passing attempts. He has tallied 1,101 yards and 12 touchdowns through four games.
 
77 – Miles between the campuses of Faulkner and Point. Despite the close proximity, Saturday marks only the fourth meeting all-time between the programs. The first came in 2012. The second, third, and fourth meetings all occur in the calendar year 2021.
 
357 – All-purpose yards for C.J. Henderson, far and away the Skyhawks most productive skill player this season.
 
572 – Passing yards tallied by Point's freshman quarterback and former Chambers Academy standout Payton Allen. The signal-caller also sits second on the squad with 125 rushing yards in addition to having averaged 40 yards per punt on three kicks. 
 
ONE TEAM
 
Who is this football team? At 4-0, the Eagles have hit every mark placed in front of them to open Rob Gray's tenure atop the program. They sit at No. 20 in the country and are one win away from matching the best start in program history. But what is the most definable characteristic of the Eagles? 
 
That question may have found its answer last week when it seemed most unanswerable. At a time when everything that had been working for Faulkner for the first three games failed, its identity just may have shown through. Touted as a strong defensive squad, the Eagles scuffled all night at Bluefield while allowing 42 points and big play after big play. 
 
Known for their ability to take care of the football on offense, Faulkner coughed up two fumbles in the first quarter and found itself down 11 points on the road with halftime looming. 
 
"We really responded in the way that we needed. I think that was the longest amount of time this year that we were down," Cagle said.
 
Faulkner's comeback victory was marked by Kade Young's offensive explosion. But it was also equally attributable to the play of the receiving corps and the backfield tandem and the offensive line and the special teams unit and the defensive grouping that just kept battling despite taking shot after shot. 
 
"It was a thing that I've been preaching and a thing the team itself has kind of been preaching. It was really good to see it and that's us being one unit, not just offense, defense, special teams," Gray said. "Defense had a bad day that day. Special teams and offense really kept us in it. There was no complaining or anything like that. Those guys picked each other up. I was really, really proud of the way they fought that game." 
 
One team. That's every coach's platonic ideal. Yet, through four weeks, Gray's Eagles seem to have adopted a degree of selflessness that could have them on just that track. 
 
They made the 10-hour bus ride to West Virginia without five of their starters on the offensive side of the ball. The made the comeback in West Virginia with a cast of committed student-athletes, many of whom were getting their first moments to shine. 
 
Devon Murry netted 50 yards on nine rushes. T.J. Hall caught three passes for 55 yards and a score despite switching to a new position just days earlier. Ty Gray caught a pair of passes during key drives late. 
 
"I think they've all responded in a positive way. There have been guys that we were kind of hoping would respond that way when their number was called and some guys that have kind of been on hold for a couple of years," Wasden said. "Devon Murry was huge the other night. He came in and kind of gave us a spark. I told him before the game these were going to be some of the most meaningful snaps that he had played since he's been here. I kind of challenged him. He just said, 'Coach, I've got you.' He came in and did that. Tony Hall switched positions on Tuesday of last week from our Y position to our H position and didn't skip a beat. Ty Gray got more snaps than he has ever gotten before at his position. Those are guys that were thrown into roles that they really haven't been in before and for them to respond the way they did after that negative first quarter was big for us."
 
As his team approaches the halfway mark of the regular season, it just might have found its identity. It's one that might not be quantifiable on the stat sheet or in film breakdown. It might not even be one for which opposing coaches can properly scheme. If the first four games of the season offer any true indication, it might be that the identity of Gray's team is the team itself. 
 
"We've picked each other up. They certainly rallied behind me. I believe in them. I think a lot of that goes hand in hand. We've had issues here and there but we haven't let anything beat us yet," Gray said. "Being 4-0 is more so for them. It may go on my record, but the players play. I believe in them and they play hard for us." 
 
Faulkner and Point kick  off Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The game is set to be streamed on Faulkner Sports Network's YouTube channel.