LEXINGTON, Va. – The 2024 VMI Football season came to an end on Saturday afternoon in Lexington, as the Keydets battled ETSU all the way until the last minute before falling by a final score of 16-9.
"Our guys fought really hard today, they have a lot of pride," said Head Coach Danny Rocco. "We came out in the second half and made it a game. We had chances to tie the football game and score there in the fourth, but I'm proud of our guys, I'm proud of our coaches."
VMI finishes the season 1-11 overall and 1-7 in conference play.
Key Stats
- ETSU outgains VMI 314-264 but the rushing yards were close to equal (202-195 ETSU)
- VMI edges the Bucs in time of possession battle (30:39-29:21)
- ETSU goes 3-for-5 in the red zone, VMI 1-for-3
- JoJo Crump rushes for a career-best 126 yards, passes for 62
- Caden Beck hits a career-high three field goals including two from 48
- Eric Rankin has 16.0 tackles, 0.5 TFLs and a break up; Shamus Jones has 15.0 stops
- Asa Locks caps off impressive freshman year with 7.0 tackles and an interception
- Terrell Jackson, Dorien Starnes, Hunter Robbins all collect two stops
- Seven receivers collect a pass while Hunter Rice goes for 87 yards on the ground in his Keydet finale
Rocco's Remarks
On the Offense this Season
"Throughout the season we just weren't able to establish the offensive prowess you need to win in this game. We had a few close late games, but once the games got into the 20s our margin for error was slim."
On the Seniors
"ETSU had 42 transfers, we had none so when you look at it like that, there's a lot to be proud of. This is a special group of seniors. I really feel like they've impacted me just as – if not more – than I've impacted them."
How it Happened
First Half
- ETSU wins the coin toss and defers, but VMI would march down the field after a 39-yard run from JoJo Crump set up a Caden Beck 39-yard field goal (VMI 3-0, 11:28)
- The teams traded possessions until ETSU tied the game at the 6:01 mark in the 1st
- Asa Locks continued his strong rookie season with an interception at the 9:20 mark, but a blocked punt would set up an ETSU touchdown (ETSU 10-3. 4:39 2nd) followed by a Bucs field goal just before the break (ETSU 13-3, half)
Second Half
- The Bucs would strike first in the third quarter, taking a 16-3 advantage at the 10:20 mark
- The Keydets would respond with a 12-play, 45-yard drive resulting in another field goal from Beck to make the score 16-6 with 4:15 in the third
- The run game began to get going in the fourth, as Rice and Crump worked into ETSU territory and Beck would hit his second 48-yarder of the day as VMI made it a one-score game (ETSU 16-9, 12:08 4th)
- VMI's defense held strong and the offense would work down to the ETSU 18-yard line but could not convert a 4
th down try
- The Bucs would drain the clock and pin VMI on their own two, ultimately taking the game 16-9
-vmikeydets.com-
