LEXINGTON, Va. -- Bolstered by a strong defensive performance throughout as well as a clutch offensive surge down the stretch, The Citadel (3-5, 1-4 SoCon) took care of business against rival VMI (0-7, 0-3 SoCon) in the 80th edition of The Military Classic of the South, overcoming a late deficit en route to dispatching the Keydets via a decisive 13-10 victory Saturday afternoon at Foster Stadium.
KEY NOTES
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Johnathan Bennett composed a solid performance under center, finishing a tight 4-for-6 through the air for 81 yards and the squad's lone touchdown of the day, good for the go-ahead score midway through the fourth quarter; the graduate student also led the Bulldogs on the ground, generating 63 rush yards on 22 carries
-- Beyond Bennett,
Johnny Crawford III and
Javonte Graves-Billips also contributed significantly in the run game, tallying a joint 53 yards via four rushes apiece
-- Graduate student
Tyler Cherry served as a one-man show for The Citadel receiving corps, pulling down three catches for a season-best 78 yards with one score, cruising in for the go-ahead touchdown off a 43-yard dime from Bennett
-- Per the usual,
Thomas Wyatt paced the Bulldogs defensively, racking up 10 tackles on the day with seven coming solo along with a 0.5 tackle-for-loss; as a unit, the defense managed to put serious pressure on the VMI backfield, logging four sacks with one apiece coming from
Giovanni Ricciardi,
Chris Benton,
Maurice Bonneau Jr. and
Carson Arnold
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James Platte compiled a monster game for The Citadel special teams, registering five punts for a 51.0 average to consistently flip the field for the Bulldogs, notably dropping a 59-yard bomb (69 yards with a 10-yard holding penalty) despite planting his heels on the back line of the end zone
-- Following a rough weekend at Western Carolina,
Ben Barnes returned to his usual form with a key 2-for-2 day, drilling 35- and 48-yard field goals throughout the first half to keep the Bulldogs close early
-- For second-year head coach
Maurice Drayton, the win serves as his first victory within Southern Conference play since taking the helm
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-- #FireThoseCannons --