Box Score
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - Matt Sharpe (Chesterfield, Va.) kicked a 35-yard field goal with :44 remaining to lift VMI to a 27-24 come from behind victory over Charleston Southern in the season opener for both teams.
VMI rallied from a fourth quarter 14-point deficit and scored 17 unanswered points on three straight possessions to secure its first road since 1996 (26 games) and its first road season opener win since 1982 (11 games.)
The Keydets trailed 24-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, but began the comeback at the 11:00 mark of the final period when quarterback Joey Gibson (Jacksonville, Fla.) scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak that capped a 10-play 60 yard drive. Sharpe missed the ensuing extra-point, however, and the scored remained 24-16.
VMI forced CSU to punt on its next drive, but had to endure a 30-minute game delay for lightning before moving 50 yards in seven plays to tie the game on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Gibson to Pedro Garcia (Newport News, Va.). Freshman Donnie Johnston (Mechanicsville, Va.) caught the two-point conversion pass to tie the game at 24-24 with 6:26 left.
The Bucs failed to move on the next drive and punted to the VMI 45. The Keydets covered 37 yards in eight plays before Sharpe nailed the game winner with :44 left. The drive was keyed by a 13-yard pass to Greg Carlson (Purcellville, Va.) on a third and nine play, and a 12-yard run by John Bell two plays later moved the ball within field goal range.
The Keydets snuffed out any hopes of a Buccaneer comeback on the ensuing drive when Musa Sarki (Hampton, Va.) picked off a Chappell pass at the VMI 40 and returned it 46 yards to the CSU 14-yard line with :29 seconds left in the game.
The Keydets took an early 3-0 lead with 6:56 left in the first quarter when Sharpe kicked a 20-yarder, but CSU answered with touchdown passes of five and 22 yards by Buc quarterback Darren Swiggett to assume a 14-3 lead with 9:46 left in the half.
VMI answered with a 12-yard over the shoulder grab of a Gibson aerial at the goal line by Johnston , who had just been moved from offensive tackle to tight end a week before the season started. The score cut the VMI deficit to 14-10 with 7:06 remaining in the second quarter.
CSU managed a 39-yard field goal by Nick Zdal with eight seconds remaining before halftime, capping a 16-play 52-yard drive to assume a 17-10 lead at intermission.
The Bucs completely dominated the third quarter and extended their lead to 24-10 with 8:38 left in the period when running back Theo Warren scored on a three-yard run, capping a 10-play, 69-yard drive. Warren rushed six times for 27 yards on the possession.
CSU would sustain a big loss on its next drive when Swiggett was knocked out of the game with a concussion following a safety blitz by Tripp Smith (Suwanee, Ga.) on a seven-yard pass completion. Freshman Clint Chappell took over but was unable to move the Buc offense with the same precision for the rest of the game.
VMI racked up eight first downs in the first half and did not attain another until early in the fourth quarter. The Keydets finished the game with 16 total first downs and 254 total yards for the game. VMI did not commit a turnover despite showers that dumped heavy rain throughout the second half.
Gibson completed 11 of 20 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns while Bell finished as VMI's top ground gainer with 73 yards on 16 carries. Garcia snagged three passes for 53 yards and a score while Kevin Solomon (Hopwell, Va.), T.J. Snelling (Chesterfield, Va.), and Carlson each caught two passes.
Warren led CSU rushers with 84 yards on 20 carries and Aaron Dunklin caught 8 passes for 64 yards to lead Buc receivers.
Linebackers Derik Screen (Lynchburg, Va.) and Chris Walsh (Lima, Ohio) and cornerback Ron Vaughns (Winston-Salem, N.C) led the defense with six tackle each, and senior tackle Matt Kluk (Darnestown, Md.)had five stops with one sack for -4 yards.
HEAD COACH CAL McCOMBS - "I told our guys in the locker room during the lightning delay that this is what we are all about at VMI, overcoming adversity. That's what our school is all about. Can we hang in the boat, or are we going to lose our poise? I was so proud of our guys because even when we were down at halftime, they weren't distraught, and they said we had one more half to play. And they never quit and they never doubted. The thing that also amazed me was that we didn't have any turnovers in these conditions."
" Our players were looking forward to having the chance to come back with a road victory. That monkey is off our back, and I know they want some more wins on the road."
"I was real disappointed with the way we played in the first half, but I felt the difference in the game was that we made some plays in the second half and the kick (Sharpe's field goal.)"
