1959 VMI Keydets football team

The 1959 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 1959 college football season. Led by seventh-year head coach John McKenna, the Keydets compiled an overall record of 8–1–1 with a mark of 5–0–1 in conference play, winning the SoCon title.^[1]

1959 VMI Keydets football
SoCon champion
Conference	Southern Conference
Record	8–1–1 (5–0–1 SoCon)
Head coach	John McKenna (7th season)
Home stadium	Alumni Field
Seasons ← 1958 1960 →

1959 Southern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
VMI $	5	–	0	–	1			8	–	1	–	1
The Citadel	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Virginia Tech	3	–	1	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Furman	3	–	2	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Richmond	4	–	3	–	1			4	–	5	–	1
West Virginia	2	–	2	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
William & Mary	2	–	5	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Davidson	0	–	5	–	0			1	–	8	–	0
George Washington	0	–	5	–	0			1	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 19	at Marshall*	Fairfield Stadium Huntington, WV	W 46–0	7,500	[2]
September 26	at No. 18 Penn State*	New Beaver Field University Park, PA	L 0–21	19,800	[3]
October 3	vs. Richmond	Portsmouth Stadium Portsmouth, VA	T 14–14	6,000	[4]
October 10	vs. Virginia*	City Stadium Lynchburg, VA	W 19–12	7,000	[5]
October 17	at William & Mary	Foreman Field Norfolk, VA (rivalry)	W 26–7	5,000	[6]
October 24	Davidson	Alumni Field Lexington, VA	W 34–7		[7]
October 30	at George Washington	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	W 28–6	5,000	[8]
November 7	at Lehigh*	Taylor Stadium Bethlehem, PA	W 7–6	4,500	[9]
November 14	The Citadel	Alumni Field Lexington, VA (rivalry)	W 32–8	8,000	[10]
November 26	vs. Virginia Tech	Victory Stadium Roanoke, VA (rivalry)	W 37–12	27,500	[11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "1959 Virginia Military Institute Keydets Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
2. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
3. "Penn State wins, 21–0, over V.M.I." Sunday Call-Chronicle. September 27, 1959. Retrieved January 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Keydets' late surge ties Richmond". Daily Press. October 4, 1959. Retrieved November 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Keydets hold off Cavaliers for 19–12 win". The Progress-Index. October 11, 1959. Retrieved January 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Smoothie Bobby Mitchell leads Keydets over Indians 26–7". The Roanoke Times. October 18, 1959. Retrieved January 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "VMI romps by 34–7". Chattanooga Daily Times. October 25, 1959. Retrieved August 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "VMI wins, 28–6, over Colonials". Richmond Times Dispatch. October 31, 1959. Retrieved February 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Guback, Steve (November 8, 1959). "Keydets Edge Lehigh, 7 to 6". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Richmond, Va. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "VMI tops Bulldogs 32–8". The Lynchburg News. November 15, 1959. Retrieved January 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "VMI stuns VPI, 37–12, to capture SC crown". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 27, 1959. Retrieved January 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.