LEXINGTON, Va. – After its road trip down to No. 19 Chattanooga last week (L, 10-31), the Keydets return home Saturday, hosting the Furman Paladins at 1:30 p.m.
Saturday will mark the first of three home games in the month of November, something that hasn't occurred since 2001.
PROMOTIONS
- VMI will celebrate First Responders Day on Saturday, as all First Responders will get into the game at a discounted rate of $15 with valid ID
- Additionally, Saturday VMI will honor and recognize the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Southern Conference Champion Football Team. The field will have a special '74 logo painted on it to celebrate the historic achievements.
How to Follow
ESPN+ / Radio - 96.7 FM 3WZ / Live Stats / SoCon Notes
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VMI Keydets (0-8, 0-4 SoCon)
Roster / Schedule / Last Week – L, 10-31 @UTC / Stats / Notes
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Furman Paladins (2-5, 1-2 SoCon)
Roster / Schedule / Last Week – L, 20-52 vs. WCU/ Stats / Notes
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SERIES HISTORY
The Paladins have gotten the better of VMI over the years, holding a record of 31-10. The Keydets have fared better in Lexington, with seven of their 10 wins coming at Foster Stadium. VMI has lost three straight in the series, but are 1-1 in the last two matchups at home, and fell just short in 2021 in Greenville.
LAST TIME OUT
The Keydets were most recently at No. 19 Chattanooga (now #18), holding the game to a one-score contest until the third quarter before being outscored 17-0 in the second half. The ground game made the difference Saturday, as the Mocs had four rushing touchdowns including two from quarterback Chase Artopoeus. Quarterback Brady Hammonds threw for a career-best 134 yards, hitting Egypt Nelson for a score.
SCOUTING THE PALADINS
Coming off a season in which it won the SoCon and reached the FCS Quarterfinals, the Paladins sit a 2-5 overall with a 1-2 record in the league. A senior-laden team in 2023, Furman has fielded 16 first-time starters this season as this year's roster has just three graduate students, eight redshirt seniors and eight true seniors. Furman has lost three of its last four, but topped The Citadel 17-16 back on October 5. Last week, Furman fell 52-20 at home to Western Carolina. The Paladin defense is giving up a league-high 37.5 points per game, and are allowing the second-most rush yards per game (192). Trey Hedden has gotten the majority of the snaps at quarterback, throwing nine touchdowns but seven picks. The Paladins have six receivers with at least a touchdown and are led on the ground by Myrion Hicks (4.2 ypc) while Evan DiMaggio has racked up 72.0 tackles.
