2016 VMI Keydets football team

2016 VMI Keydets football
Conference	Southern Conference
Record	3–8 (1–7 SoCon)
Head coach	Scott Wachenheim (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Dustin Ward (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Tom Clark (2nd season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Alumni Memorial Field

2016 Southern Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 10 The Citadel $^		8	–	0					10	–	2
No. 9 Wofford ^		6	–	2					10	–	4
No. 13 Chattanooga ^		6	–	2					9	–	4
No. 23 Samford ^		5	–	3					7	–	5
Mercer		4	–	4					6	–	5
Furman		3	–	5					3	–	8
East Tennessee State		2	–	6					5	–	6
Western Carolina		1	–	7					2	–	9
VMI		1	–	7					3	–	8
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2016 VMI Keydets football team represented the Virginia Military Institute in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. It was VMI's 126th football season and the Keydets were led by second year head coach Scott Wachenheim. They played their home games at 10,000–seat Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium, as they have since 1962. This was VMI's third season as a member of the Southern Conference, after playing for 11 seasons in the Big South Conference. VMI was also a charter member of the Southern Conference, from 1921 through 2003. They finished the season 3–8, 1–7 in SoCon play to finish in a tie for eighth place.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 3	6:30 pm	at Akron*	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN3	L 24–47	11,061
September 10	6:00 pm	at Morehead State*	Jayne Stadium Morehead, KY	OVCDN	W 17–13	5,588
September 24	3:00 pm	at Bucknell*	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	CI	W 23–17 3OT	4,972
October 1	1:30 pm	Mercer	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	ESPN3	L 30–33 OT	5,266
October 8	1:30 pm	East Tennessee State	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	ESPN3	W 37–7	5,638
October 15	3:00 pm	at No. 24 Samford	Seibert Stadium Homewood, AL	ESPN3	L 21–55	4,085
October 22	2:00 pm	at No. 11 Chattanooga	Finley Stadium Chattanooga, TN	SDN	L 13–30	10,505
October 29	1:30 pm	Furman	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	ESPN3	L 10–24	5,610
November 5	2:00 pm	at Western Carolina	E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN3	L 29–32	8,225
November 12	1:30 pm	No. 5 The Citadel	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA (Military Classic of the South)	ESPN3	L 20–30	8,251
November 19	1:30 pm	at No. 20 Wofford	Gibbs Stadium Spartanburg, SC	ESPN3	L 0–17	8,102
*Non-conference game Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

• Source: Schedule

Game summaries

At Akron

	1	2	3	4	Total
Keydets	7	3	14	0	24
Zips	12	7	7	21	47

See also: 2016 Akron Zips football team

Overall record	Previous meeting	Result
1–1	2011	L 13–36

At Morehead State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Keydets	0	14	3	0	17
Eagles	0	7	0	6	13

See also: 2016 Morehead State Eagles football team

Overall record	Previous meeting	Result
2–1	2015	W 43–40

At Bucknell

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	3OT	Total
Keydets	6	0	8	3	0	0	6	23
Bison	0	7	7	3	0	0	0	17

See also: 2016 Bucknell Bison football team

Overall record	Previous meeting	Result
1–3	2015	L 22–28

Mercer

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Bears	14	7	0	6	6	33
Keydets	0	7	7	13	3	30

See also: 2016 Mercer Bears football team

Overall record	Previous meeting	Result
1–1	2015	W 28–21

East Tennessee State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	0	0	0	7	7
Keydets	14	13	3	7	37

See also: 2016 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team

Overall record	Previous meeting	Result
8–13	2002	L 21–35

At Samford

	1	2	3	4	Total
Keydets	7	7	7	0	21
#24 Bulldogs	28	10	0	17	55

See also: 2016 Samford Bulldogs football team

Overall record	Previous meeting	Result
0–3	2015	L 13–49

At Chattanooga

	1	2	3	4	Total
Keydets	0	0	13	0	13
#11 Mocs	7	10	6	7	30

See also: 2016 Chattanooga Mocs football team

Overall record	Previous meeting	Result
7–14–1	2015	L 27–33

Furman

	1	2	3	4	Total
Paladins	7	10	7	0	24
Keydets	3	0	0	7	10

See also: 2016 Furman Paladins football team

Overall record	Previous meeting	Result
9–24	2015	L 21–24

At Western Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Keydets	0	9	6	14	29
Catamounts	7	14	3	8	32

See also: 2016 Western Carolina Catamounts football team

Overall record	Previous meeting	Result
3–19	2015	L 20–24

The Citadel

	1	2	3	4	Total
#5 Bulldogs	10	7	6	7	30
Keydets	0	7	13	0	20

See also: 2016 The Citadel Bulldogs football team and Military Classic of the South

Overall record	Previous meeting	Result
30–39–2	2015	L 30–35

At Wofford

	1	2	3	4	Total
Keydets	0	0	0	0	0
#20 Terriers	3	0	0	14	17

See also: 2016 Wofford Terriers football team

Overall record	Previous meeting	Result
10–9	2015	L 20–41