CHARLESTON, S.C. – The VMI Football Team traveled to bitter-rival The Citadel on Saturday, leading for almost three quarters of play before falling in an up-and-down contest to the Bulldogs 35-24.
VMI would score with 55 seconds in the first quarter, and hold a lead until the 4:33 mark of the fourth, but could not answer in the end. The Keydets now drop to 1-8 (0-5 SoCon) while The Citadel moves to 4-4 (3-3 SoCon).
"Give The Citadel a lot of credit for having the confidence to climb back in the game and ultimately finish," said VMI Head Coach
Danny Rocco. "I'm disappointed and frustrated but have to tip my cap to them."
Key Stats
-
Collin Shannon completes 21 of 29 passes (72%) for 261 yards and two TDs, his fourth game this season with over 200 yards through the air
-
Noah Grevious leads the receiving corps tying his career-high with 11 grabs for 138 yards, second-most yards in a single game for him this season
- The 59-yard TD reception by Grevious to open the third quarter was the second longest reception of his career
-
Leo Boehling rushes for a career-high 149 yards on 14 carries (10.6 ypc) including a career-best 70-yard scamper in the 4
th quarter
- Boehling's previous single-game high was 66 yards set earlier in the season at Bucknell
- Malik McKneely hauls in three catches for 49 yards and a touchdown
- Senior
Kouri Crump leads team with 9.0 tackles, including seven solo takedowns
-
Amaje Parker and
Isaiah Grevious ranked second on the team with 7.0 tackles on the day
- Four Keydets earned 1.0 TFLs during the game
- The Citadel quarterback Quentin Hayes completes 5-of-7 passes for three touchdowns and 175 yards, including a 72-yard TD pass
- Jihad Marks of The Citadel receives four catches for career-high 168 yards, including career-high 72-yard TD grab
- Cale Williams leads The Citadel with 9.0 tackles, including five solo
Rocco's Remarks
On the Play in the Second Half
"We played really well early, did some good things offensively and defensively we were really playing well. Second half we started to wear down a little and then they took some shots down the field. In some ways that's been our achilles heel all season. I don't think they completed a pass in the first half but if you look at the numbers in the end, it's just a crazy game, it's a crazy sport.
How it Happened
First Half
- Teams trade possessions to open, with the Keydets embarking on a 76-yard drive capped off by a
Nana Utsey touchdown to move in front 7-0 (0:55, 1
st quarter)
- The Citadel looked to answer, getting the ball inside the one-yard line, but the VMI defense held strong and forcing a turnover on downs
- Shannon would find Sweeney and then Grevious three times before hitting
Malik McNeely in the corner for a score just before the break (14-0, half)
Second Half
- Both VMI units opened the third just as they closed the second, and this time it was Grevious who took a 59-yard reception to the house (21-0, 11:14, third)
- The Bulldog offense began to click, making it 21-7 and on the verge of adding another touchdown before a fumble inside the five would lead to a VMI field goal (24-7)
- The Citadel scored quickly in the fourth, forcing a three-and-out and cutting it to three just minutes later after the Keydets fumbled on The Citadel one-yard line (24-21, 10:36 4
th)
- VMI could not advance the ball on its next possession, and the Bulldogs kept the momentum, taking their first lead of the game with 4:33 to play, tacking on one score late to take the game
