2018 VMI Football Fact Book 9-6 Layout 1
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QUICK FACTS Name of School Virginia Military Institute (VMI) TABLE OF CONTENTS City/Zip Lexington, Va. 24450 Table of Contents/Quick Facts ............................ ....1 Founded 1839 Enrollment 1,559 2018 Season Preview ............................................. 2-3 Nickname Keydets Mascot Moe (Kangaroo) Head Coach Scott Wachenheim ......................... 4-5 School Colors Red, Yellow & White Stadium Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium Assistant Coaches................................................... 6-9 Conference Southern Conference Superintendent General J.H. Binford Peay III ‘62 2018 Player Rosters/Opening Depth Chart.....10-11 Athletic Director Dr. Dave Diles (Ohio ‘83) 2018 Returning Player Bios ..................................12-27 Athletic Department Phone 540-464-7251 Ticket Office Phone 540-464-7266 2018 Signees.............................................................28-29 COACHING STAFF 2017 Game Recaps.................................................30-40 Head Coach Scott Wachenheim Alma Mater Air Force ‘84 2017 Statistics..........................................................41-49 Record at VMI 5-28/Fourth Season Records Versus Opponents ..................................50-52 Overall Record Same To Reach Coach Contact SID When Was The Last Time? ................................... ..53 Defensive Coordinator (Asst. HC) Tom Clark Offensive Coordinator (QB) Brian Sheppard Past All-Conference Honorees............................ ..54 Assistant Coach (WR) Billy Cosh Assistant Coach (OL) Mike Cummings Record Book............................................................55-79 Assistant Coach (DL/Recruiting) Seth Payne Media Information .................................................. ..80 Assistant Coach (RB) Albert Reid Assistant Coach (ILB) Mike Saint Germain VMI History and Traditions...................................81-82 Assistant Coach (OLB) Jeff Sejour Assistant Coach (TE) Penn Stephenson Assistant Coach (CB) Tarron Williams 2018 Schedule Strength & Conditioning Coach Dave Forman Athletic Trainer (Football) Ryan Eddy Sept.1 at Toledo 7 p.m. TEAM INFORMATION 2017 Overall Record 0-11 Sept. 8 at Wofford* 6 p.m. SoCon Record/Finish 0-8, 9th Starters Returning/Lost 14/11 Letterwinners Returning/Lost 60/39 Sept. 15 ETSU* 1:30 p.m. ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Associate A.D./Athletic Communications (FB Contact) Wade Branner Sept. 22 at Western Carolina* 3:30 p.m. SID Office Phone 540-464-7253 Home/Cell Phone 540-319-1271 Sept. 29 Mercer* 1:30 p.m. Email [email protected] Associate Athletic Communications Director (Secondary FB) Brad Salois Assistant Athletic Communications Director Daniel Whitehead Oct. 13 at Samford* 3 p.m. Press Box Phone 540-464-7834 Athletic Communications Fax 540-464-7583 Oct. 20 The Citadel* 1:30 p.m. Mailing Address Cameron Hall, 401 N. Main St., Lexington, Va. 24450 Oct. 27 at Chattanooga* 3 p.m. Website www.VMIKeydets.com Twitter @VMIAthletics/@VMI_Football Nov. 3 Tusculum 1:30 p.m. The 2018 VMI Football Fact Book is a product of the VMI Athletic Communications Office. The publication has been produced to aid the media Nov. 10 Furman* 1:30 p.m. in covering VMI football during the 2018 season. For additional information, the media may contact the Athletic Nov. 17 at Old Dominion 2 p.m. Communications Office, Cameron Hall, Lexington, VA 24450. The office may also be reached via telephone at (540) 464-7253. Credits: The 2018 VMI Football Fact Book was written by Wade Branner, * = Southern Conference Game Associate A.D./Athletic Communications and designed by Brad Salois, Associate Athletic Communications Director, respectively. All Times Eastern Photography: VMI Communications & Marketing, Chuck Steenburgh, B.R. Floyd, VMI Archives and Wade Branner. 2018 VMI Football Fact Book 1 2018 VMI Football Fact Book 2018 Season Preview The 2018 VMI football team will be one of the playoff berth after engineering some high The receiving corps returns virtually intact youngest on record with 52 of the 95 on the octane offenses at Indiana State. from a year ago as nine of the top 10 wide- preseason camp roster listed as true freshman outs in catches from 2017 return. Topping the or sophomores in eligibility. Embedded in the Sophomore Reece Udinski is a leading candi- list is sophomore Kris Thornton, who hauled youth, however, is a good corps of experience, date for the starting quarterback role after a in a team leading 33 receptions for 340 yards as 30 first-year eligibility players took to the promising performance in the home season and two touchdowns and was named to the field during the 2017 season. finale against Wofford. Udinski showed sub- All-Freshman Southern Conference team on stantial improvement in the spring after play- offense. Junior Rohan Martin (26 catches, 149 Overall, 58 letterwinners return with 29 on ing in eight games and completing 54.3% of his yards) and Javeon Lara (12 catches, two offense and 26 on defense. The Keydets must passes (51 of 94) for 432 yards – the second touchdowns) are both experienced returnees replace 39 letterwinners from last year includ- most among quarterbacks. He ended the sea- while other lettermen include senior Isaiah ing 22 on the defensive side of the ball. son on a high note completing 24 of 39 Parker and Kendrick Jackson. Offensively, seven starters return from 2017, attempts for 207 yards and two touchdowns and a young group of experienced depth form against Wofford and was the only quarterback The offensive line returns three starters in a promising picture for the coming year. The to have multi-TD passes last year. Redshirt redshirt sophomore Cole Brummit, redshirt Keydets averaged just 8.8 points per game last junior Austin Coulling also returns and brings sophomore Josh Andre, and redshirt sopho- season, but that number should rise as the extensive experience to the quarterback posi- youthful personnel gain more experience with tion as a starter and reserve with six career their roles. starts and 10 games played at QB over his first two seasons. VMI took advantage of having three quarter- backs with substantial game experience in Several experienced running backs return to 2018 spring drills and will continue that devel- bolster the ground game including junior Tyain opment in August camp under new offensive Smith who has garnered the second most coordinator Brian Sheppard. Sheppard comes yards on the team in rushing each of the last to Lexington from Northern Arizona where two seasons. Smith, a hard runner with break- he helped the Lumberjacks to a 2017 FCS away ability played in the first nine games and missed two late season contests because of injury. He rushed 54 times for 191 yards and Brad Davis caught 11 passes for 72 yards and showed his durability carrying the ball for a combined 20 more Sawaar Canady. New to mix as a pro- times in successive weeks against Samford and jected starter is sophomore Brad Davis who Furman. Redshirt junior Quan Myers will bring saw action at tackle his freshman year and depth at running back and hopes to recapture continued his development as one of the best the form showed at the start of the 2016 sea- offensive performers in spring practice and son before injuries slowed him down. Redshirt was also named to the 2018 All-Southern freshman Chima Kpaduwa showed in spring Conference preseason second team. drills that he will be a contender for playing time in the running back rotation. Tyain Smith 2 2018 VMI Football Fact Book 2018 VMI Football Fact Book Sophomore Colby Rider saw extensive action depth to the defensive front. Richmond fin- The secondary will also have to replace start- as a tight end and will likely return to that ished the season with 12 tackles and 25 ing safety Greg Sanders (2017 Defender of the role after seeing some time on the interior assists for 37 tackles and logged a season-high Nation Award winner) , but three starters line during spring drills. eight assisted tackles against Western return to the defensive backfield. Heading the Carolina. list is senior three-year starter Riuq Trotman, The Keydets face a tall task rebuilding a defen- who finished in the top 10 in tackles (9th) sive unit that lost six key starters from 2017 All four starting inside and outside linebackers with 31 stops after racking up 10 solo and 20 including all four starting inside and outside (All-SoCon performers Allan Cratsenberg and assists and also tying for the team lead in pass linebackers. Ryan Francis along with outside backers Brian breakups with six. Sophomore A.J. Smith Lipscomb and Tony Richardson), have graduat- played in all 11 games as a true freshman and The defensive line is the most veteran group ed and took with them a combined 144 was a starter at safety by mid-season and fin- of the unit as multi-year starters Zach Baker career starts over the past four years. Those ished ranked sixth on the team in tackles with and Ryan Clark return to the front. Baker, a who stepped up as potential contributors in 48 stops with two pass break ups. Smith was redshirt senior, played in all 11 games and fin- also selected to the All-Freshman SoCon team ished with 30 tackles with four tackles-for-loss for defense for his superb play in 2017. Junior for eight yards and moved into the starting Kaleb Tucker also returns at cornerback after lineup at midseason in week six against posting the most tackles last year of any Samford and remained there for the remain- returning defender with 54 and was second in der of the season. Clark, cited as one of the the secondary with 40 solo stops. most improved players on the defensive front, moved into the starting lineup full time in VMI must find a punter to replace Bill Hogan but all other kickers return including junior Grant Clemons, senior Tommy Smith, and jun- ior Reed King. Kris Thornton the linebacker corps include returning letter- man redshirt sophomore Elliott Brewster as well as sophomore Noah Delaney-Manuel, who was converted to linebacker after some impressive turns as a true freshman along the Ryan Clark defensive front.