1959 VMI Keydets football team

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

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

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]

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.