MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The #9 Campbellsville University Fighting Tigers answered the call, bouncing back from their first loss of the season with an offensive and defensive masterpiece, defeating the Faulkner University Eagles 62-9 on the road.
- Freshman Jeremy Smith had a career day, scoring three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing).
- Quarterback Jett Engle was efficient and explosive, completing 20-of-31 passes for 241 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions.
- The defense and special teams scored two non-offensive touchdowns: a fumble recovery in the endzone by Brok Sholtes and a 40-yard interception return by Kaleb Lawrence.
- Campbellsville's offense amassed 546 total yards, and the defense forced three turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble.
- Tre' Bass was explosive again, rushing for 96 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries.
- The Tigers' next contest is their last regular-season home matchup of the year, facing the Bethel Wildcats on Saturday, November 8th at 1:30 p.m. ET.
The Tigers set the tone on their opening drive, marching 60 yards in eight plays. Jett Engle executed a scissors concept to perfection, delivering a 21-yard slot fade to TJ Peaks for the first touchdown of the day. On their next possession, Engle took advantage of man coverage, hitting Roland Hazard Jr. on a glance route for an 18-yard touchdown, putting the Tigers up 13-0. Faulkner got on the board with a field goal to end the quarter, 13-3.
Faulkner opened the second quarter with a touchdown to cut the lead to 13-9. Campbellsville answered immediately. Tre' Bass took a counter handoff, cut it back, and found the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown. Later in the quarter, a ten-play, 62-yard drive was capped off by Bass again, who took a screen pass and followed his blockers into the endzone for his second score of the day, making it 27-9. After a Dawson Carson sack forced a Faulkner punt, a blocked punt by the Tigers' special teams set the offense up with a short field. Engle quickly found Jeremy Smith for a 16-yard strike to put the Tigers up 34-9 at halftime.
The Tigers' defense and special teams put the game away in the third quarter. After a fumbled punt snap by Faulkner was recovered by Chase Maynard, the Tigers drove deep into Faulkner territory. A pass from backup quarterback Trenton Cutwright to Jaysean Pritchard was fumbled at the goal line, but Brok Sholtes alertly recovered it for a Tiger touchdown. On Faulkner's next possession, Kaleb Lawrence jumped a route, snagged his second career interception, and returned it 40 yards for a pick-six, blowing the game open at 48-9.
The dominance continued in the fourth. Engle bought time and scrambled to his right before finding Jeremy Smith for a 17-yard touchdown, Smith's second of the day. On the next drive, the Tigers ran a counter to Smith, who cut it up past the pylons for his third touchdown of the game. A late interception by Zeke Carwile, his first career pick, sealed the 62-9 victory.
The team's performance was exactly what the coaching staff expected, as the Tigers still control their own destiny in the conference championship hunt. After a heartwrenching loss last week, Campbellsville was looking to regain its focus and execute in all facets of the game. They did exactly that, holding the Eagles scoreless in the second half to cap off the dominant victory.
