Game Day: Football at Faulkner

(RV) Southeastern University Fire (0-0) at (19) Faulkner University Eagles
7:00 p.m. Eastern / 6:00 p.m. Central
 
Game Coverage
Watch (Faulkner Sports Network)
Live Stats
Game Notes
Two-Deeps: Southeastern      Faulkner
Twitter: @SEUFireFootball
 
Southeastern returns to the scene of its first game in program history Thursday night when it takes on Faulkner University to open the 2016 season.
 
Two of the more high-powered offenses from the 2015 season will have some key components back. The Fire return redshirt junior running back Jarrell Reynolds, who is looking for his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season. On the perimeter, senior wide receiver Michael Wheary set a Sun Conference record with 10 catches for 245 yards in last year's game against Faulkner. He finished the year with better than 700 yards.
 
Redshirt sophomore Railond Garrett passed for 1,225 yards and 12 scores as SEU's primary passer last season.
 
Faulkner had the top passing offense in the NAIA last season at 385.8 yards per game, thanks largely in part to former Division I quarterback Clayton Nicholas. In his first season on the field, Nicholas passed for 3,120 yards and 30 touchdowns in 417 attempts with just nine interceptions. The Eagles finished seventh in the NAIA in scoring last year at 40.5 points per game.
 
Rob Lockhart is the top returning target in the passing game, following a 62-catch season that netted 1,155 yards and 15 touchdowns.
 
Both teams sported a superb pass rush in 2015 with the Eagles ranking first in the NAIA at 4.8 sacks per game, totaling 48. The Fire weren't far off, averaging 3.1 sacks per game, and totaling 24.5.