LEXINGTON, Va. – Coming off a 1-10 season in which they were winless in the SoCon (0-8), the VMI Football Team made its presence felt in year one under head coach Danny Rocco, as the Keydets posted a 5-6 record and were an even 4-4 in league play.

With the success, came some well-earned recognition. To capture that success, we recapped the highlights of the 2023 VMI Football Season below.

Key Stats
- 2023 marked just the 4^th time in the last 20 years in which VMI has won 5 games
- Also just the 4^th time in 20 years the program has won 4 conference games
- Danny Rocco named National Coach of the Year Finalist, signs extension
- VMI reclaimed the Silver Shako with 17-13 win at The Citadel
- Victory over No. 14 Western Carolina was the first win over a ranked opponent since October 9, 2021 (Chattanooga)
- Eight players earned All-SoCon Honors (Culbreath, Eller, Peterson, Rankin, Rice, Starnes, Thorpe, Twombly)
- Three players collected SoCon Player of the Week recognition(Jack Culbreath, Evan Eller, Hunter Rice)
- Jack Culbreath earns National Player of the Week award (September 25, 2023)
- Three of VMI's four conference losses came to teams that made the FCS Playoffs (Mercer, No. 17 Chattanooga, No. 2 Furman)
- 23 wins in football over the last 5 years is the most successful five-year stretch in football since 78-82
- Most conference wins in a five-year stretch since 60-64 with 18

A Closer Look
The Keydets faced a tough test right from the jump, hosting a Davidson team that was coming off three-straight FCS Playoff appearances and a 2022 season in which the Wildcats were ranked in the top 25. VMI proved quickly it was up to the task, holding one of the nation's top offenses to just 184 yards and 7 points, scoring a 12-7 win. With the win, Rocco became one of just two active coaches to earn wins at four different FCS Programs.

After a trip to Bucknell and one to N.C. State, the Keydets turned the page to conference play, defending home field with a gritty 17-14 win in rainy conditions against Wofford. Hunter Rice would rush and throw for a touchdown, while the Keydet defense (two fumbles) held strong down the stretch to secure the win. In the process, VMI's Jack Culbreath earned National and SoCon Player of the Week honors.

Stumbling at Mercer, VMI righted the ship in the Military Classic of the South, defeating The Citadel 17-13 for the program's first victory in the series since the covid spring season. Similar to a lot of its wins in 2023, VMI took the lead late in the fourth and relied on the defense to close out the ball game and reclaim the Silver Shako Trophy.

After the Keydets nearly upset No. 17 Chattanooga (L, 23-24) – behind Hunter Rice's 208 yards and three touchdowns – VMI returned to the road, once again relying on some 4^th quarter magic, outscoring ETSU 17-0 in the last period for a 31-24 win.
With one game left to play, a 7-2 (5-2 SoCon) Western Carolina team traveled to Lexington, where the Keydets would defend home field one more time, coming out with a 27-24 victory over the 14^th-ranked Catamounts. Hunter Rice couldn't be stopped, rushing for 138 yards and four touchdowns, while high school teammate Evan Eller (16.0 tackles, forced fumble) recorded his first career interception, leading to the duo being named the league's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.

Following the season, Coach Rocco was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award for the seventh time in his career (four different schools) and inked an extension to keep him in Lexington through 2028.
The next day, eight members of the 2023 squad earned All-Conference honors. Jack Culbreath, Evan Eller, Justin Peterson, Eric Rankin, Aidan Twombly all registered both First and Second Team honors (Media, Coaches), while Hunter Rice and Dorien Starnes collected Second Team recognition and Ivan Thorpe was named to the All-Freshman team.

How they Rank
As a team, VMI ended the season ranked in the top 50 in a variety of national categories including:
- 6^th in fewest penalties per game (4.45)*
- 9^th in fewest penalties (49)*
- 22^nd in fewest penalty yards (480) and penalty yards per game (43.64)
- 28^th in passing yards allowed (187.0)*
- 32^nd in kickoff return defense (17.87 ypc)
- 40^th in Red Zone defense (0.778)
- 44^th in fumbles recovered (7)
*led SoCon in that category

Following the success of the 2023 campaign, there is no doubt the future of VMI looks bright.

#RahVaMil #ALLIN