LEXINGTON, Va. - Redshirt freshman Jonathan Wilson (Natural Bridge, Va.) threw for a career-high 306 yards and two scores and sophomore backs Sean Mizzer (Prince Frederick, Md.) and Titus Green (LaPlata, Md.) added two touchdowns each to lead VMI to a 48-7 win over Austin Peay in the Keydets' final home game of the season.
Wilson completed 22 of 34 passes and connected with Green on scoring strikes of 30 and nine yards while Mizzer notched his seventh 100-yard game of the season and 10th for his career with 111 yards on 18 carries. Mizzer scored on first half TD runs of 18 and 31 yards.
The Keydets piled up 550 total yards, the second highest mark of the season, and raised their record to 6-5 on the season with one game remaining. VMI must win against The Citadel next Saturday in Charlotte in order to post its first winning season since 1981.
VMI's defense held the Governors to 237 total yards, including just 90 yards in the second half.
Austin Peay, facing VMI for the first time, had its two-game win streak snapped and closed out its season with a 4-7 mark.
After fumbling the ball away on their opening drive, the Keydets assembled back-to-back scoring drives to build a 14-0 lead 13 minutes into the contest. Wilson started the game's scoring with a one-yard sneak that capped a six-play, 66-yard drive highlighted by a 33-yard pass from Wilson to the APSU 35. VMI tallied again on its next possession with a four-play, 89-yard drive. A 49-yard run by Snelling and a 21-yard pass to sophomore slotback Gary Price set up Mizzer's 18-yard run to the endzone in which he pinballed off several defenders.
The Keydets stretched the lead to 21-0 with 2:50 left in the first half when Wilson engineered an eight-play, 79-yard scoring drive. The Keydet QB completed four of four passes on the possession for 39 yards, three to junior wideout Greg Carlson, before Mizzer broke a tackle in the backfield and motored 31 yards down the left sideline for his eighth rushing touchdown of the year.
But the Keydets were not finished scoring in the half. Austin Peay lined up for a 47-yard field goal attempt, but sophomore Robert Mason blocked Justin Deardorff's kick, snatched the ball in mid-air, and raced 69 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-0 with :29 left.
The Govenors halted VMI's opening drive of the second half when a Wilson pass caromed off wideout Zohn Burden's hands into the grasp of linebacker Ryan Taylor who sprinted 49 yards for a TD to cut the lead to 28-7 with 13:00 left.
Wilson teammed up with Green on touchdown passes to put the game away. He scrambled before finding Green all alone in the end zone for a 30-yard scoring pass with 1:59 left, then hit Green again on the next possession on a nine-yard TD slant. Freshman running back Colby Hollinsworth made it three consecutive scoring drives when he dashed 13 yards to close out the scoring with 6:49 left.
Mason led VMI defenders with nine tackles. APSU linebacker Andy Zachariasen led all tacklers with 10 stops and recovered a fumble.
VMI will battle for the Silver Shako in "The Military Classic of the South" next Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. at 1:30 p.m.
HEAD COACH CAL MCOMBS QUOTES
On where VMI football has turned its immediate attention to: "Right now we have one thing to worry about, and that's The Citadel game next week. I love that game every year. I'd play it every Saturday if we could."
On what senior linebacker Derik Screen has meant to VMI football: "Derik's going to be tough to replace. He's leading our conference and in the top 10 in the country in tackles. He's played outside for the last three years and we moved him inside this spring. He's a leader on the field and has great confidence as a football player."
VMI NOTES
- The 336 points score by VMI this season eclipsed the program record of 314 set by the team last season.
- VMI eclipsed the 40-point mark for the third time this season. It marks the first season that this has been done by a VMI team since 1922.
- VMI's win clinched the Keydets' second straight non-losing season for the first time since the 1976 and 1977 seasons.
- The 550 yards of total offense was the second highest total in the Cal McCombs era. The Keydets accumulated 563 yards at Davidson earlier this season.
- The 30 first downs were a season-high.
- Quarterback Jonathan Wilson threw for a career-high 306 yards. He became the first VMI QB to throw for over 300 yards since Joey Gibson threw for 346 yards vs. The Citadel on Nov. 11, 2000.
- Running back Sean Mizzer ran for 111 yards. It was the seventh 100-yard rushing game of the season and 10th of his career. He is now third on VMI's all-time list for 100-yard rushing games. He is the fourth VMI player to post seven 100-yard rushing games in one season.
- The Keydets scored their 41st touchdown of the season and are only one behind their all-time record of 42 set last year
- Robert Mason's blocked FG and return for a touchdown was the first in the history of VMI football.
