2008 VMI Keydets football team

2008 VMI Keydets football
Conference	Big South Conference
Record	4–7 (1–4 Big South)
Head coach	Sparky Woods (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Brent Davis (3rd season)
Defensive coordinator	A. J. Christoff (1st season)
Home stadium	Alumni Memorial Field

2008 Big South Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 14 Liberty $		5	–	0					10	–	2
Stony Brook		3	–	2					5	–	6
Charleston Southern		3	–	2					7	–	5
Gardner–Webb		2	–	3					5	–	6
Coastal Carolina		1	–	4					6	–	6
VMI		1	–	4					4	–	7
Presbyterian		1	–	4					4	–	8
$ – Conference champion Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 2008 VMI Keydets football team represented the Virginia Military Institute during the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. It was the Keydets 118th year of football, which began in 1891, and their 6th season in the Big South Conference. VMI was run by first year head coach Sparky Woods, who was previously a head coach at Appalachian State and South Carolina. Woods was a replacement for his predecessor Jim Reid, who departed from the Institute to be linebackers coach of the Miami Dolphins.

The Keydets enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in recent years in terms of wins. The year started with a convincing victory over St. Francis 49–0. After a 52–17 drubbing from William & Mary, the Keydets handled another Division-II opponent, Chowan, 69–20. A late second-half surge then pushed Ohio past VMI 51–31 the following week. Another large loss came from Richmond at home, 56–16. The Keydets did, however, get their first conference win since 2005, a 47–20 blowout victory over Coastal Carolina. VMI ended the year with a 49–27 win over future conference member Presbyterian, breaking a four-game losing streak.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
September 6	1:30 pm	Saint Francis (PA)*	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	W 49–0	5,123
September 13	7:00 pm	at William & Mary*	Zable Stadium Williamsburg, VA (rivalry)	L 17–52	10,624
September 20	1:30 pm	Chowan*	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	W 69–20	6,793
September 27	2:00 pm	at Ohio*	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	L 31–51	19,938
October 4	1:30 pm	No. 6 Richmond*	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	L 16–56	7,643
October 11	1:30 pm	Coastal Carolina	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	W 47–20	8,157
October 25	1:30 pm	at Gardner–Webb	Spangler Stadium Boiling Springs, NC	L 27–34	5,600
November 1	1:30 pm	at Charleston Southern	Buccaneer Field North Charleston, SC	L 21–31	3,213
November 8	1:30 pm	Liberty	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	L 26–38	6,813
November 15	3:30 pm	at Stony Brook	LaValle Stadium Stony Brook, NY	L 26–40	2,051
November 22	1:30 pm	Presbyterian*	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	W 49–27	4,710
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game