Remember when all VMI Football hoped for was a winning season? The close to the second straight winning season for the Keydets on Saturday felt like unfinished business.
The Keydets (6-5, 4-4 SoCon) found themselves down 21-0 in the first quarter on their way to a 52-24 drubbing at the hands of Western Carolina (4-7, 4-4).
Western quarterback Rogan Wells led the Catamounts down the field on the opening drive and connected with Owen Cosenke for a six-yard touchdown reception for a 7-0 lead.
After forcing a VMI punt, Western’s Daquan Patten returned the punt 71 yards for another touchdown for a 14-0 WCU lead four minutes into the game. After a VMI punt on the ensuing possession, the Catamount drove down the field again and scored on a five-yard rush by Kenny Benjamin to make the score 21-0 for the Catamounts.
On VMI’s next possession facing a 3rd-and-8, VMI quarterback Seth Morgan connected with Leroy Thomas on a 39-yard reception to put the Keydets on the board and cut the deficit to 21-7 with 4:37 to play in the opening quarter.
VMI then forced a WCU punt and drove down the field to score on a 12-yard reception from Morgan to tight end Aidan Twombly, who turned the corner and flipped into the corner of the end zone to make the score 21-14.
The Keydets tied the score at 21-21 after forcing a WCU punt early in the second quarter and eventually scoring on a two-yard rush by freshman Hunter Rice at the 11:27 mark. The Catamounts would counter later in the quarter with a TJ Jones one-yard touchdown rush to give Western a 28-21 lead at the break.
The only score of the third quarter came on a 59-yard touchdown reception by Western’s Calvin Jones from Wells to give the Catamounts a 35-21 lead with one quarter to play.
VMI kicker Jerry Rice converted a 28-yard field goal early in the period to cut the deficit to 35-24, but it would be the final tally of the game for the Keydets as the Catamounts kept VMI at bay with an interception, turnover on downs and a fumble on consecutive Keydet possessions.
Western Carolina capitalized on the opportunities in the final quarter by scoring on a 30-yard reception from Wells to Raphael Williams (10:42), a McCollum 23-yard field goal (6:33) and a three-yard touchdown reception from Wells to Patten with 30 seconds left on the clock for the game’s final tally
VMI coach Scott Wachenheim postgame
“It was obviously not the outcome we wanted to end the season with, but I’m very proud that our team fought hard for all 11 games. Going 6-5, having back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 60 years, a lot of history was made. It would have been nice to get No. 7, but that leaves something for us to have as a goal to go out and obtain in the future. I’m proud of all our seniors – I thought they went out there and fought hard the whole season. They are men of integrity and men of honor and I’m proud to be their head football coach.
“I think Rogan Wells is a very good quarterback and very accurate. Even when we had him pressured he found ways to escape. It’s tough when you have a quarterback who can run and throw. When guys weren’t open, he found ways to get guys open. They have very fast receivers who can beat you. It’s hard to take away all four of them. We struggled at times to do that.
“I think they’re well-coached. Kerwin Bell has been throwing it a long time. They had open guys and made great plays.”
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Chris Graham
