#17 Wofford edges VMI Football, 19-18

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#17 Wofford edges VMI Football, 19-18

LEXINGTON, Va. ? Fullback Kevious Johnson's one-yard TD run with 1:18 left in the third quarter proved to be the game winner as the #17 ranked Terriers edged VMI, 19-18, in the regular season finale before a crowd of 4,317 at Alumni Memorial Field.

The scrappy Keydets gave their former Southern Conference foe all they could handle, but it was the nine-play, 61-yard third quarter drive that eventually put the Terriers up for good.

VMI had taken its only lead of the game, 18-13, when it marched 72 yards in 10 plays and scored on freshman Nat Jackson's three-yard run with 7:14 left in the third quarter.

The Keydets forced Wofford on a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, but couldn't move the ball and was forced to punt. The Terriers took over with 4:18 left in the third quarter pounded out nine rushing plays ? the last coming on Johnson's three-yard TD burst.

The fourth quarter remained scoreless as both teams missed field goal attempts. Wofford moved to the VMI 19 early in the fourth quarter, but Nick Robinson's field goal attempt from 36 yards hit the left upright and bounced back with 10:28 left.

The Keydets later moved the ball to the Wofford 20-yard line following a 32-yard rush by Nat Jackson, but the drive stalled with a three rushes that netted -3 yards. Freshman kicker Barrett Way, who had booted a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter, had his 40-yard attempt go wide left with 3:16 remaining.

The Keydets were unable to regain possession after that point despite forcing Wofford to punt with a minute left. VMI return man Sean Mizzer mishandled the Trey Rogers punt at the VMI 15 and the punt was recovered by Alex Love at the VMI 10. The Terriers took two snaps in tight formation to seal the win and keep their I-AA playoff hopes alive.

Wofford finished the regular season (8-3, 4-3 SoCon) while VMI finished (0-11, 0-4 Big South).

The Terriers opened the game's scoring ? capitalizing on Justin Franklin's interception of a Kirk Monteleone pass that was returned to the VMI 37. Two plays later, Wofford quarterback Jeff Zolman connected on an over-the-top route with Brandon Berry in the endzone for a 25-yard score. Nick Robinson's extra-point was good to make it 7-0.

VMI tied the score at the 11:23 mark of the first quarter on a 73-yard screen pass play from Monteleone to Mizzer. It was both VMI's longest pass play and longest play from scrimmage on the season.

Wofford retook the lead late in the period on a 13-play, 65 yard drive that was capped by Zolman's three-yard option keeper with 2:19 left. Robinson missed the extra point, leaving the score at 13-7.

Way's 48-yard field goal, his eighth of the season and third over 40 yards, pulled VMI within 13-10 with 9:57 left in the half. The drive was set up by good VMI field position produced by 10-yard sacks by Todd Baldwin and Eric Hall on the previous Wofford drive.

VMI tacked on two more points to pull within 13-12 when it registered its first safety since the 2002 season. Senior will backer Tripp Smith trapped Wofford back Corey Dunn in the two-yard deep in the endzone with 5:39 remaining in the half.

The Keydets took the ensuing Wofford punt and moved to the 29-yard line following 16-yard rush by Mizzer, but two rushes for -2 yards and a sack for -7 yards pushed VMI out of field goal range and the Keydets trailed by one at the half.

Johnson, the SoCon's leading rusher who returned from a high ankle sprain sustained in last week's Furman game, led Wofford in rushing with 73 yards, sharing game-high rushing honors with Mizzer.

Wofford also got 53 yards from halfback Gabriel Jackson and 52 yards from fullback Donald Dorham. VMI tailback Nat Jackson rushed for 48 yards on eight carries for the Keydets.

VMI safety Robert Mason, the Big South's leading tackler, racked up 19 tackles including 10 solo stops.

VMI HEAD COACH CAL MCCOMBS ? “I was proud of our players not just today, but all season because it's been an awful tough season for them. I've been on teams that have won 12 ballgames and stayed healthy and won the close ones. Just the reverse happened to us this year. But when you can go out there and play a team that's ranked #17 in the country, the way our team played today, and our defense did a great job this week preparing for the option. I credit our defensive coaches for getting our players ready to go and our players for being so attentive to our game plan.”

GAME NOTES ? VMI tailback Sean Mizzer moved past Marcus Mines (1989-92) and Tony Scales (1989-92) into third place on the VMI all-time list in rushing. Mizzer has 2,483 yards, behind Thomas Haskins (5,349-1993-96) and Floyd Allen (3,569-1978-81).

Zohn Burden tied the consecutive games reception streak held by Kevin Solomon (1999-2002) of 23 games. Burden also finished the season with 57 catches for 595 yards joining Ronnie Moore (1972-75) and Mark Stock (1984-88) as the only other players to do that. Wide receiver Gary Price also tied the consecutive receptions school mark with one catch for six yards.
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