Army -VMI Football

bruno

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In a really soggy cold day (why don't they spike the hot chocolate in the concession stands on days like yesterday?!!) at Michie Stadium Army football managed to avoid an upset by VMI, coming back with about 6 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter to score and logging a 22-17 victory. Army's final drive was set up by a controversial call on an Army pass completion late in the 4th Qtr initially ruled incomplete and then reversed after review that left them with 1st down on the 11 rather than 4th and 15 on the 40. VMI out gained Army on the ground with 328 yds to 126 - Army had 174 yards in the air to VMI's 19- pretty much all to their 6-10 receiver Alejandro Villanueva (who towered over the the VMI defensive backfield- Tough guy to stop on those high passes!)
It was a tough loss for VMI. Ah well- such are the vagueries of Keydet football fandom. See you again next year when VMI again takes on Army at Michie Stadium . To ease the sting-VMI Basketball however opened the season friday night with a win over Army in Lexington 93-86.

Ok Army if you win the last 2 games against North Texas and NAVY you will have a .500 season for the first time since 1996. I'm pulling for you to beat Navy but you are going to have to pick it up a notch to do so. 4 fumbles and 328 yards given up on the ground to VMI is sloppy football. If you hadn't been handed 100 yards in penalties which set up 3 field goals this would have been a loss to a team you expected to beat handily.
I wouldn't count on the weather being any better on Dec 12th- Coach Ellerson- get those boys fired up and tightened up & "BEAT NAVY!"
 
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"Army's final drive was set up by a controversial call on an Army pass completion late in the 4th Qtr initially ruled incomplete and then reversed after review that left them with 1st down on the 11 rather than 4th and 15 on the 40."

Hi Bruno,

I was at the Army-VMI game yesterday. The refs were definitely Army fans. My son looked up #82 on his blackberry during the game. Alejandro is 6'10" and did a great job for Army.

And yes it was soggy. I bought a souvenier Army mug to get the extra large hot chocolate (will have to hide mug when daughter is home from USNA for Thanksgiving) and agree a shot would have it the spot.


GoNavyMom

GoNavy Beat Army
 
The refs were definitely Army fans.

Concerning the 'controversial' play in question....
Per the radio broadcast, the sideline reporter stated that the ref had already called the pass incomplete before Villaneuva had even come down. This makes it look like the refs on the field were against Army and the refs in the booth had to straighten it out.
These are the opinions of my biased husband and may or may not reflect the views of the poster..... :biggrin:
 
As I said it was a controversial call- I was on the other side of the field so I couldn't tell. It was a better game from the VMI perspective than I expected- but Army has got to do better than yesterday or this will not be the year that they break the current losing streak against Navy. VMI's defensive backfield is not their strong point by a long shot- I don't think that Villanueva is going to have free reign in the backfield against like he did yesterday and otherwise the Army offense really didn't do much- they got handed some very good field position because of penalties that they barely capitalized on -the FG kicker won the game for them (he was a strong point for Army as he was dead on from around 40 yards).
So- Keydets are planning on next year- same time same place. :thumb:

BTW what made this a good game even if it was cold, wet and a loss was that my son and his 4 roommates came up from VMI for the game-and after leaving us spent the night in NYC which was a first for two of those boys. I understand that one of them couldn't get over Times Square at night or Katz Deli down on the lower East Side (East Houston St) - his mouth is apparently still wide open :cool:.
 
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It was a good game even though Army really made a lot of mistakes.

I was surprised by the low turnout of VMI cadets, is there a reason for this or were they all in civvies?

On a side note: It was pretty funny seeing the fans ask VMI cadets for directions to things (due to the similarity in uniform).
 
The reason for the low VMI Cadet attendance-the permit for the trip made it a free weekend for them if they went to the game - but it wasn't a Corps trip; they didn't have an transportation laid on (and only first classmen have cars)and they couldn't leave until after parade on Friday,& finally anyone with Penalty tours or confinement was restricted from the permit so it was a real stretch to go. Finding transportation was a major undertaking for the 5 guys from my son's room- it was dicey right up until Friday morning as to whether they would make it or not.

Still-It's too bad there were so few guys in attendance- I'm gonna suggest to the Alum association that we push to get the a big turnout next year. When I was a Cadet my 3rd class year it was a Corps trip, we took chartered busses up and we stayed in the barracks at USMA- it was a good time all around.

I'll bet the car they went back in today smelled like a giant wet dog- none of those guys wore their Rain capes so by the end of the game their blouses were like wool sponges:thumbdown:
 
The reason for the low VMI Cadet attendance-the permit for the trip made it a free weekend for them if they went to the game - but it wasn't a Corps trip; they didn't have an transportation laid on (and only first classmen have cars)and they couldn't leave until after parade on Friday,& finally anyone with Penalty tours or confinement was restricted from the permit so it was a real stretch to go. Finding transportation was a major undertaking for the 5 guys from my son's room- it was dicey right up until Friday morning as to whether they would make it or not.

Still-It's too bad there were so few guys in attendance- I'm gonna suggest to the Alum association that we push to get the a big turnout next year. When I was a Cadet my 3rd class year it was a Corps trip, we took chartered busses up and we stayed in the barracks at USMA- it was a good time all around.

I'll bet the car they went back in today smelled like a giant wet dog- none of those guys wore their Rain capes so by the end of the game their blouses were like wool sponges:thumbdown:

I only saw the band with raincoats. Other than that I only saw about 6 or so VMI cadets that weren't with the band, some wearing their overcoat with red cape.
 
I think there were about 15 VMI cadets up in the upper deck (my son and his 4 roomies plus about 10 more up there) on the same side but above the Corps I think we were in section U11. It was pretty high up there -an old man like me practically needed Oxygen to climb up to our seats (and I had my Dad with as well- it was a pretty good hike up there especially since we had just walked up from where we parked down past the cemetary).
 
As I said it was a controversial call- I was on the other side of the field so I could tell. It was a better game from the VMI perspective than I expected- but Army has got to do better than yesterday or this will not be the year that they break the current losing streak against Navy. VMI's defensive backfield is not their strong point by a long shot- I don't think that Villanueva is going to have free reign in the backfield against like he did yesterday and otherwise the Army offense really didn't do much- they got handed some very good field position because of penalties that they barely capitalized on -the FG kicker won the game for them (he was a strong point for Army as he was dead on from around 40 yards).
So- Keydets are planning on next year- same time same place. :thumb:

Agreed. On paper, Army should have won that game and by a lot more than they did. I'm afraid that the Army-Navy game is not going to be a very pretty one for us Army fans.

... I think we were in section U11. It was pretty high up there -an old man like me practically needed Oxygen to climb up to our seats (and I had my Dad with as well- it was a pretty good hike up there especially since we had just walked up from where we parked down past the cemetary).
:eek: That was quite a hike!!!
 
Yeah... the Army-Navy game will be quite interesting this year. I went up with the band for the VMI-Army game my Third Class year (2006-2007 school year). I just double checked the archives at www.vmikeydets.com and my memory was pretty accurate: Army trounced us 62-7. It was painful to watch. So for us to have done so well against them this year, frankly, the Army team must really suck this year!!! :shake:

The VMI-Army basketball game on Friday night was awesome, though. Keydet basketball is where it's at (that and rugby!!!), but it was pretty strange without my Brother Rats (Travis & Chavis Holmes and Willie Bell) out on the court. Watch out, though- Austin Kenon '11 rocks, Keith Gabriel '12 and Ronnie Burks '12 are comin' up quick, and Stan Okoye '10+3 held his own incredibly well for his first game at the Division I level...

Go Keydets Go!!! :smile:
 
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