Chris Thompson accounted for two interceptions. Jalen Browder caught a pair of touchdown passes. Philip Russell tried to tackle everybody donning a white helmet and the Faulkner Eagles beat Thomas More 27-20 to move to 2-0 for the first time since 2015 and only the fourth time in program history.
In front of a passionate Crestview Hills, Ky. crowd eager to celebrate the school's centennial, Faulkner found itself in a fight for nearly every bit of the 60 minutes of game time. The Eagles pushed their lead to double digits when Kade Young hit Browder from nine yards out for the senior wideout's second score of the contest. The sequence capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive that milked 5:59 off the clock and left Faulkner up 21-10 midway through the third quarter.

That proved the last time Faulkner had measurable breathing room for the duration of the contest. Monalo Caldwell scored on a 5-yard run with 1:21 left in the third quarter to narrow the Saints' deficit to 21-17. Alexander Haley then added a 23-yard field goal with 13:09 left in the game to leave Faulkner up just 21-20.

In need of an answer, Faulkner started the ensuing drive at its own 28 and began utilizing its ground game. The drive nearly stalled before Young hit Satyler Wilson at the sticks on third down. The read option game got Faulkner as far as the Thomas More 40 before Charles Blackmon exploded through the middle of the Saint defense for a touchdown. The Eagles were unable to add the point-after, leaving them up a touchdown with 8:53 remaining. The teams traded punts with Caden Davis's 45-yarder setting Thomas More back at its own 18 with 5:18 to play. Five snaps later, Thompson jumped in front of a Blaine Espinosa pass for his second interception of the contest.

Faulkner drove as far as the Saint 5 in search of the knockout blow before an incomplete pass on third down was followed immediately by a dead ball, unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Eagles. That turned Alvin Renteria's 22-yard field goal attempt into a 38-yard effort. Thomas More blocked the kick and took over for one final chance with 1:09 to play. The Saints were unable to gain more than four yards as Faulkner took back over for victory formation.

The Eagles, who never trailed in the contest, opened the scoring with a 16-yard strike to Browder. The end zone visit came with 2:28 left in the first and culminated an 84-yard drive the lasted 14 plays and nearly seven minutes.

Thomas More answered with an Alexander Haley field goal from 36 yards out with 10:58 left before half. Faulkner added to the advantage with 4:50 left before intermission when Young hit Isaiah Scott for a four-yard scoring strike.

With 1:29 left until half, Caldwell punched it in from a yard out to leave Thomas More down 14-10.

Young finished his night with 244 yards passing and three touchdowns despite being sacked four times. Blackmon paced the backfield with 79 yards rushing on 12 carries. Browder topped the pass catchers with 104 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions. Wilson added 70 yards on seven receptions while Scott had seven catches for 33 yards and a score.

Russell continued his torrid start to the season with 12 total tackles, giving him 25 on the season. Russell add a tackle for loss and a half a sack in the effort.

Faulkner (2-0) returns to the friendly confines of Billy D. Hilyer Stadium next Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff against first-time foe Florida Memorial.