MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Faulkner picked up its first Homecoming win since 2022 when it dropped Andrew College 46-21 Saturday. In their first home game since Sept. 5, the Eagles relied on defense and special teams to make the difference.
Dylan Smith blocked a punt deep in Fighting Tiger territory, allowing
Andre Smiley to scoop it and return it eight yards for a touchdown with 11:15 remaining in the first quarter. The score marked the first of 25 non-offensive points on the day for Faulkner. Two plays after the blocked punt,
RJ Randolph Jr. forced a fumble that was recovered by
AJ Alozie. That set up a two-play, 19-yard drive for the Eagles that ended with a
Robin Harris scoring run from three yards out for the 14-0 lead. Just one snap later,
Bernard Tindall jumped a short route and picked off an Andrew pass to set up the next Faulkner drive.
Jordan Leverette made good on the opportunity with a 9-yard touchdown run. The Eagles held a 21-0 lead less than six minutes into the game. Tindall made his second big play of the opening frame with 17 seconds left on the clock when he pounced on a loose ball in the end zone to push it to 28-0. The feat marked the highest-scoring first quarter by a Faulkner team since 2014 when the Eagles put 28 on Belhaven.
Faulkner kept the pressure on early in the second quarter when Randolph sacked the Fighting Tiger signal-caller in the end zone to move it to 30-0.
Jordan Moultrie pushed the lead to 37-0 with 11:08 left in the second when he scored on a 14-yard run.
Andrew found its footing late in the second quarter as it started a string of 21 unanswered points. Nick Commisso hit Jaden Cofer for an acrobatic 23-yard touchdown play with 5:30 remaining in the opening half. Commisso then found Jerry Bolton for a 64-yard catch-and-run to cut it to 37-14. With 8:01 remaining in the third, Commisso found Bolton for a 17-yard touchdown pass to move it to 37-21.
Andrew got the ball back with multiple opportunities to cut into the two-possession deficit and stay in the game until the 6:04 mark of the fourth quarter. Randolph recorded his third sack and second safety of the game, moving the advantage to 39-21.
The final score of the game occurred after the special teams unit made one more big play.
Braxton Berrey dropped a high, arcing 40-yard punt near the Andrew goal line, allowing a streaking
Chase Huff to be in position to dive on the ball after a Fighting Tiger fumble. The play set the Eagles up just three yards away from paydirt. Harris punched the ball in to ice it.
Aiden Spratt topped the Eagles with 11 total tackles. Randolph finished with eight tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble. Huff notched eight tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. Tindal added six tackles to his fumble recovery and interception.
The meeting marked the first between the two programs as Andrew College started its football program in 2026. The Fighting Tigers, like Faulkner, are playing independent for the 2026 season before moving into the Appalachian Athletic Conference in 2027. The teams are set to meet again in Blakely, Ga. Saturday, Oct. 31.
Faulkner (4-3) returns to action for just its third home game of the season Saturday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m against Fort Lauderdale.
