Game #9 - VMI Keydets

For the ninth game of the season, the Cats travel to Lexington, VA to play the VMI Keydets.

The Cats have won all five games against the Keydets since their return to the Southern Conference in 2014, can we make it six in a row on the road?


Game #9 - VMI Keydets

When: Saturday, November 2 - Time: 1:30 pm  EST
Where: Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium (10,000), Lexington, VA
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-Radio Announcers: Gary Ayers (PBP), Daniel Hooker (color), Greg McLamb (sideline)
TV/video:  ESPN+
-TV/Video Announcers: Wade Branner (PBP), Chip Tarkenton (Analysis)
Live Stats:  VMI Live Stats
Game Notes:    WCU         -          VMI
VMI Message Board:   Keydet SportsTalk

The Series: Western currently leads the series with VMI, by a 21-3 margin. The Cats and Keydets first played on the gridiron in 1978, and the Cats currently own a fifteen game winning streak, having swept the Keydets since their return to the Southern Conference.

The last game played vs. VMI:  September 23, 2018 - WCU wins Wild SoCon Opener, 52-50 over VMI Cullowhee, N.C. – Tyrie Adams rushed for a season-high 117 yards and scored his fourth touchdown on the ground this season, adding three TD passes to help lead Western Carolina to a wild 52-50 victory over VMI in the squad’s Southern Conference season opener Saturday afternoon in front of 12,759 fans at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.

Head Coach: Scott Wachenheim - Scott Wachenheim enters his fifth season as VMI’s head football coach, and he continues to guide the program with a steady hand in one of the toughest conferences in FCS. The program continues to build a solid foundation with young personnel, and since his debut season in 2015, Wachenheim has transformed expectations and attitudes within the VMI football program and has shown that sustainable success can be attained with enthusiasm, hard work, resilience, and dedication.

Last Season's Record (VMI): 2018 - 1-10 overall, 1-5 home, 0-5 away,  0-8 SoCon

This Season's Record (VMI):  2019 -  4-4 overall, 2-2 home, 2-2 away, 3-2     -The Keydets kicked off the season with a loss at Marshall but rebounded with a win versus Mars Hill. In the third game of the season, the Keydets picked up an overtime win over ETSU on the road. VMI then had back to back losses to Robert Morris and Wofford, then beat the Citadel in Charleston, and won in OT over Samford in Lexington, before falling to Mercer by 7 points in Macon. The Keydets had a bye week just prior to playing WCU.

Offensive Formation: Air Raid
-2018 Offensive: 23.4 ppg. (93rd in FCS)
Defensive Formation: 3-4
-2018 Defensive: 48.2 ppg. (124st in FCS)
Starters returning/lost:    19   /   8
Offensive starters - Returning/Lost:  8   /  3
Defensive starters - Returning/Lost:   8   /   3
Specialist - Returning/Lost:    3    /    0
Letterwinners Returning: 56

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Four VMI football players were named to the Preseason All-Southern Conference teams announced by the league at the 2019 SoCon Football Media Day. Senior wide receiver Javeon Lara was named first-team offense, while junior quarterback Reece Udinski was named to the second-team offense. On the defensive side, junior AJ Smith was named to the first-team defense and on special teams, senior Rohan Martin was named a second-team return specialist. The Kevdets were picked to finish 9th by both the coaches and Media in the SoCon polls.

Despite the rainy conditions in Macon on Oct 19, VMI junior quarterback Reece Udinski broke the FCS record of consecutive passes without an interception held by Jimmy Blanchard of Portland State in 1999 with 344 consecutive passes without a pick. Udinski finished his record-setting day with a 26-of-46 passing effort for 263 yards and one touchdown. In the same game redshirt junior running back Alex Ramsey gained 125 yards on the ground against the Bears and now has four 100-yard rushing games this season. Ramsey scored his 17th rushing touchdown for the season, tying the school mark set by Thomas Haskins in 1995.

Currently, VMI ranks 3d in scoring in the SoCon, averaging 34.6 points per game, while the Cats are last with an average of 16.9 points per game.  The Keydets rank last in rushing yardage, just behind the Cats, but are 6th in rushing defense, giving up 206.9 yards per game, while the Cats rank last in that category. In the passing game, the Keydets lead the conference in pass offense, putting up an average of 305 yards per game, while the Cats come in at 6th place, with 167.5 yards. 

2019 VMI Statistics  (8 games)
Rushing Offense: 1082 yards
Yards per game: 135.2
Yards per rush: 3.9 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 63
TDs rushing: 20
Passing Offense: 2440 yards or 305 yards per game
Avg. per pass: 6.7 yards
Passing 1st downs: 115
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 228-365-1
TDs Passing:15
Total Offense: 3522 yards or 440 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 8-5
3d Down Conversions: 54 of 134 (40%)
4th Down Conversions: 12 of 19 (63%)
Field goal - attempts: 11-17
PAT-Attempts: 30 of 31
On-side kicks: 0-2
Red Zone Scores: 33 of 36 (92%)
Red Zone Touchdowns: 25 of 36 (69%)
Punts - Yards: 44- 1819 - Avg per punt: 41.3


Game predictions:  Per the Massey Ratings, the Cats have only a 19% probability of winning (30-42) over the Keydets. I'm going to differ with Massey on this one, as the Cats pick up their first DI win, as well as their first conference win of the season, with at 38-35 victory over the Keydets in Lexington, VA/

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