– Coming off an early bye week, the VMI Football team returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Cullowhee for its SoCon-opening matchup against Western Carolina.
VMI's FOURTH QUARTER RALLY FALLS SHORT AGAINST CORNELL 28-22 – In a rematch from 2021, in which the Keydets were victorious 31-21 in Ithaca, Cornell took a 28-2 lead into the fourth quarter as defense, special teams and
Collin Ironside led VMI to score 20 points unanswered, but failed to grab the onside kick as the Big Red hung on for the six-point victory.
COLLIN ON THE KEYDETS – After his solid second-half performances against Wake Forest and Cornell, redshirt sophomore
Collin Ironside will get the nod at quarterback for VMI this Saturday. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native has appeared in 11 games over his three seasons in Lexington, including a start at Wofford last season in which he went 18-for-21 with two touchdowns in a 31-23 victory. Against Cornell on September 17
th, Ironside was 16-for-18 with a career-high 275 yards to go with a passing touchdown and the first rushing TD of his career. For his efforts, the 4.0 business and economics major was named SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week.
SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS – Western Carolina, who was picked to finish fifth by both the coaches and the media in the preseason poll, is sitting at an even 2-2 on the year, with an 0-1 record in conference play. The Catamounts are coming off a loss at nationally-ranked Samford (21/22) this past weekend as the Bulldogs held Western Carolina to four field goals despite 456 yards of total offense. Although the Catamounts did not get the win, quarterback Carlos Davis returned after missing the previous game due to injury.
HOW THEY RANK – Containing the explosive Catamounts offense is key, as Western Carolina has gone for 52 and 77 points in its two wins, but just 17 and 12 points in the two losses. The Catamounts lead SoCon teams in points per game (39.0), total offense (557.0, 2
nd among FCS teams) and pass offense (349.0, 4
th among FCS teams), but are last in the league in points allowed (32.0). Pass defense is where teams have been able to capitalize, averaging 243.0 yards in the air. Raphael Williams and Desmond Reid have been the driving forces for the offense, with Williams hauling in 19 catches for 240 yards and a touchdown, while Reid (freshman) has toted the rock 46 times for 349 yards and three touchdowns. On the defensive side, Chris Morgan is tied for the league lead with 3.5 sacks.
A VMI win over Western Carolina would…
--Be the program's 5
th victory all-time in the series
--Be just the second ever win in Cullowhee
--Be VMI's second victory in its last three tries against the Catamounts
THE SERIES – Western Carolina has dominated the series 24-4, but the two sides have gone 1-1 in the last two matchups. When VMI was victorious at WCU during the Spring of 2021 (30-7), it was the Keydets' first victory in the series since 1992 and was the program's first-ever victory in Cullowhee.
HURRICANE IAN – While the weather can take a last-minute turn, the projected forecast for Cullowhee on Saturday calls for a lot of rain, but low winds from Hurricane Ian.
NATIONAL NUMBERS – Through three games,
Stone Snyder has been dominant on defense, leading all of FCS football with an average of 12.0 tackles per game and is 25
th with 5.3 solo tackles per game. Teammate
Evan Eller ranks 36
th with 9.0 tackles per game, while
Christian Dunn is averaging a sack per contest. Offensively,
Chance Knox sits at 21
st individually with 18 catches thus far with
Leroy Thomas checking in 71
st (4.7 catches per game).
STATS AMONG THE SOCON – VMI's defense has been the driving force for the Keydets, ranking third among SoCon teams in total defense (318.3 yards per game) and pass defense (183.3 yards per game). VMI has also allowed just one fourth-down conversion in six tries, ranking second in the league.
TAKE A CHANCE – While 12 receivers have caught at least two passes thus far, junior
Chance Knox ranks second in the SoCon in receptions per game (6.0), with teammate
Leroy Thomas checking in at No. 5 with 4.7 catches per contest.
