VMI ranked for the first time as an FCS competitorLEXINGTON, Va. – The Keydets are nationally ranked for the first time since joining the FCS college football classification, checking in at No. This comes on the heels of a Saturday home win over Mercer, 41-14, a team VMI had never beat at home. “The VMI football team is honored that our efforts have been seen as worthy of inclusion in the FCS Top 25 poll,” said VMI head coach Scott Wachenheim. AdIn 1982, VMI was reclassified into the Division I-AA ranks which later became the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). It never attained a national ranking as an FCS member, but did receive votes in 1991, 2002, and 2019.

LEXINGTON, Va. – Reece Udinski ran for two touchdowns and threw for another and VMI beat Mercer 41-14. VMI is off to its first 3-0 start since 1981 and snapped a four-game losing streak to the Bears. “I think that the running game helped us out with the throwing game. Udinksi was 26-of-36 passing for 242 yards, including a 27-yard score to Leroy Thomas for a 34-0 third-quarter lead. Ethan Dirrim caught two touchdown passes for Mercer in the fourth quarter.

Korey Bridy ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns to lead VMI to a 30-7 victory over Western Carolina. It was the second straight win for VMI (2-0, 2-0 Southern Conference), which opened its season with a 14-13 victory over then-No. VMI rushed for 199 yards as a team while Reece Udinski and Seth Morgan combined for 293 yards passing. While as a team, VMI racked up 6 tackles for loss. Saturday’s win was the first time VMI had defeated Western Carolina since 1991 and it was the first ever Keydets win in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI football team scored one of the biggest wins in program history Saturday with a 14-13 upset of #10-ranked Furman University from Foster Stadium. VMI took a 14-13 lead with 17 seconds left in the third quarter on a three-play, 86-yard touchdown drive. The VMI defense stopped three Paladin drives in the fourth quarter, one on a fourth-down stop, one on a punt and the last on a fumble with 47 seconds left with Furman threatening at the VMI 24. Furman got on the scoreboard first 3:53 into the contest on a Hamp Sisson to Wayne Anderson pass. VMI (1-0) travels to Western Carolina University next Saturday for a SoCon matchup at 1 p.m. in Cullowhee, N.C.

LEXINGTON, Va. – On the first day of the February signing period, Scott Wachenheim and the Keydets announced nine signees to the 2021 recruiting class. “We are excited to add nine future cadet-athletes to our VMI Football 2021 signing class, said Wachenheim. They complement our December signees and give us the ability to compete for future SoCon championships,” said head coach Scott Wachenheim. AdHe joins other Patrick Henry football players Trace Pedigo, redshirt freshman Daniel Cox and Sophomore Leroy Thomas on the VMI roster. This is the first time the football team has signed two athletes in the same class to full-ride scholarships.

LEXINGTON, Va. – Conditioning and situational football were the two focal points for the Keydets as they hit the field for a “THUD tempo” style scrimmage. On Saturday, the team operated drives in 4 minute sets with the goal of increasing players conditioning for an unique spring season. Ad“He’s close to 100 percent healthy coming off the ACL surgery a season ago,” Wachenheim said. He emphasized that conditioning will be crucial considering the Southern Conference season will be played in the spring as opposed to the fall, which creates nuances. AdThe Keydets open the season on Feb. 20 at Chattanooga, the first home game will be on Feb. 27 against Furman.