1971 VMI Keydets football team

1971 VMI Keydets football
Conference	Southern Conference
Record	1–10 (1–4 SoCon)
Head coach	Bob Thalman (1st season)
Home stadium	Alumni Memorial Field
Seasons ←  1970 1972  →

1971 Southern Conference football standings
v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Richmond $	5	–	1	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
William & Mary	4	–	1	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
The Citadel	4	–	2	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
East Carolina	3	–	2	–	0			4	–	6	–	1
Furman	2	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	1
VMI	1	–	4	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
Davidson	0	–	6	–	0			1	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1971 VMI Keydets football team was an American football team that represented the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. In their first year under head coach Bob Thalman, the team compiled an overall record of 1–10 with a mark of 1–4 in conference play, placing sixth in the SoCon. ^[1] After serving as a defensive assistant under Vito Ragazzo for two years, Thalman was promoted to head coach of the Keydets in December 1970. ^[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 18	Davidson	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	W 27–3	5,500	[3]
September 25	at Villanova *	Villanova Stadium Villanova, PA	L 3–13	13,324	[4]
October 2	at Furman	Sirrine Stadium Greenville, SC	L 0–14		[5]
October 9	The Citadel	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA (rivalry)	L 24–25	7,500	[6]
October 16	at Richmond	City Stadium Richmond, VA (rivalry)	L 6–21	10,000	[7]
October 23	at William & Mary	Cary Field Williamsburg, VA (rivalry)	L 7–12	8,000	[8]
October 30	at Maryland *	Byrd Stadium College Park, MD	L 0–38	22,300	[9]
November 6	at Southern Miss *	Faulkner Field Hattiesburg, MS	L 0–38	12,400	[10]
November 13	at West Virginia *	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	L 3–28	24,000	[11]
November 20	Chattanooga *	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	L 8–31		[12]
November 27	vs. Virginia Tech *	Victory Stadium Roanoke, VA (rivalry)	L 0–34	5,500	[13]
*Non-conference game

References

1. "1971 VMI Keydets football schedule". VMI Athletics. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
2. "Bob Thalman gets football head coaching post at VMI". The Danville Register. December 4, 1970. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
3. "Bowman's running boosts VMI past Davidson, 27–3". The State. September 19, 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Sluggish Villanova leans on defense to turn back VMI, 13–3". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 26, 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
5. "Furman trims VMI, 14–0, wins first". The Greenville News. October 3, 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Citadel comes back strong, beats VMI". The Times and Democrat. October 10, 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Spiders jump to 21–0 1st-half lead before coasting over Keydets, 21–7". Daily Press. October 17, 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Late W&M touchdown nips feisty VMI, 12–7". Daily Press. October 24, 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Neville, Seymore spark Maryland to 38–0 romp". The Daily Times. October 31, 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Southern Miss crushes VMI". The News Leader. November 7, 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
11. "WVU downs stubborn VMI". The Pittsburgh Press. November 14, 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Chattanooga trounces VMI". The News-Leader. November 21, 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
13. "Gobblers glide by VMI, 34–0". The News and Observer. November 28, 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.