By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.  Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

The Keydets will finish the regular season directly in the national spotlight.

nVMI is now 3-0 and atop the Southern Conference standings. Not only should the Keydets, with wins over Furman, Western Carolina and now Mercer, be nationally-ranked, they have one of the most impressive resumes in all of FCS football. In addition to the signature triumph over the then-top ten Paladins, VMI promptly defeated the Catamounts and Bears by a combined score of 71-21. The Keydets have been both determined and dominant.xc2xa0xc2xa0xc2xa0

nAt the halfway point of the schedule, VMI has been the story of the spring in the SoCon.

nThis is a winning team with great balance. Veteran quarterback Reece Udinski continues to star, throwing for 242 more yards and one more touchdown, adding two rushing scores, on Saturday. Defensively, the Keydets have been as good as any unit in the country. Calling their play great would be an understatement. Not only did VMI hold Mercer to just two late scores over the weekend, the Bears had only two plays of over 15 yards all game. The Keydets continue to absolutely overwhelm opponents at the line of scrimmage. After giving up only 256 yards to Western Carolina, VMI limited the Bears to merely 170.

nIn total this season, the Keydets have allowed only 34 points. Three of those touchdowns, with VMI holding multi-score leads, came in the fourth quarter of already-decided games.

nThe Keydets will finish the regular season directly in the national spotlight. In addition to an upcoming game at Samford, which has been involed in three one-score games already and just beat ranked Wofford, VMI will conclude the spring schedule with the defending SoCon champion Terriers, 2018 league co-champion East Tennessee State and archrival The Citadel in a contest that is one of the top rivalries in FCS football. Expectations are taking shape week-by-week for a program that is suddenly part of the big picture.

nQuite notably, one more victory will give VMI its first winning season since 1981. The Keydets last won a SoCon championship in 1977. VMI has never made the FCS playoffs. Remarkably, the 2021 Keydets are in the process of making history each time they take the field.

nGiven where VMI is and what they have accomplished, potential season storylines now include a conference title and a trip to the FCS playoffs.

nFresh off a resounding 41-14 win over Mercer, VMI continues to to be one of the most impressive teams in the country. The Keydets are a contender.