VMI seeks a complete-game response against ranked ETSU on Family Weekend

The Keydets return to Lexington after a promising first quarter at Wofford gave way to 38 unanswered points.

VMI’s challenge Saturday is to sustain the kind of start it produced a week ago. The Keydets host nationally ranked ETSU on Family Weekend, still looking for their first victory after a 41-14 loss at Wofford that turned sharply after the opening quarter.

The Southern Conference game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Eastern on October 24 at Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium in Lexington, Virginia, with coverage on ESPN+. ETSU’s game-day notice lists kickoff at 1:32 p.m.; VMI’s schedule and preview retain the advertised 1:30 start. VMI’s schedule, ETSU’s game-day details

Build beyond the opening burst

The Keydets, 0-7 overall and 0-3 in the SoCon, led Wofford 14-3 after one quarter. Isaiah Grevious returned a fumble 54 yards for a touchdown after Erick Roman forced the turnover, and Traveion Slaughter added a 61-yard touchdown run. VMI did not score again.

The final numbers illustrate the work ahead. VMI finished with 188 total yards, including 36 passing, while Wofford gained 514. The Keydets converted four of 14 third downs. The two early scoring plays mattered, but they did not produce enough sustained offense to keep the game competitive over four quarters. Official Wofford recap and statistics

That makes the possessions after a big play especially important against ETSU. Can VMI follow an explosive gain with another productive series? Can it avoid putting the entire passing game in third-and-long situations? Those are more useful measures of progress than the first-quarter score alone.

A rested opponent with momentum

ETSU arrives at 5-2 and 3-0 in the conference after four consecutive wins. The Buccaneers beat West Georgia, Western Carolina and Chattanooga before a 34-16 road victory over The Citadel, then had an open weekend. VMI’s preview identifies ETSU as No. 18. VMI’s matchup preview

ETSU also has recent control of the series. The Bucs won last season’s meeting 45-10 and lead the all-time matchup 20-11. VMI’s most recent victory came in 2023, when it won 31-24 in Johnson City. ETSU’s series notes, VMI’s series notes

VMI has already shown it can produce a defensive score and a long rushing touchdown. Saturday asks for the next step: enough ordinary, successful snaps between those highlights to challenge a rested team that has yet to lose in league play.