Cullowhee, N.C. – VMI running back Korey Bridy rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns to guide the Keydets to a 30-7 victory over Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference action at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.
 
Keydet quarterback Reece Udinski threw for 239 yards and a score on 30-of-41 passing as VMI amassed 492 yards of total offense on 90 offensive snaps to spoil WCU's first home game since November 2019.
 
Catamount tailback Donnavan Spencer just missed the century mark with 98 rushing yards, the bulk coming after halftime, while backfield counterpart Mikai Stanley recorded his first career rushing touchdown. Quarterback Ryan Glover completed 13-of-19 passes for 143 yards, hitting seven different wide receivers. Daquan Patten caught two passes for a team-best 55 yards while D.J. Thorpe hauled in a team-high three passes.
 
VMI (2-0, 2-0 SoCon) used a Bridy six-yard touchdown late in the first quarter and a pair of second-quarter Jerry Rice field goals to take a 13-0 halftime lead. Each first-half scoring drive featured double-digit plays.
 
With the Catamounts looking to build momentum out of the halftime locker room, VMI's Ethan Caselberry wrestled the football away from an intended receiver for a hard-earned interception to set-up VMI in plus territory. Udinski capped the abbreviated drive with a 17-yard strike to WR Jakob Herres for the 20-point advantage.
 
WCU put together one of its best drives of the day on the ensuing possession, moving to the nine-yard line. However, an intentional grounding call flagged on the Catamounts helped stall the drive, and a 30-yard field goal was missed to the left to keep WCU off the scoreboard. The Keydets took over after the missed attempt and drove 80-yards with Bridy plunging in from a yard out for the 27-0 lead.
 
Following a second Rice field goal, Glover guided the Catamounts down the field thanks to a 44-yard connection with Patten, with Stanley rumbling in from the five-yard line to provide the final tally.
 
Senior LB Ty Harris led the Catamount defense with 14 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss on 1.5 sacks, while Trevor Childers was credited with eight stops. Defensive backs A.J. Rogers and Rod Gattison had seven tackles apiece, while Aaron Gethers broke-up a WCU career-best three passes to accompany three tackles.
 
For VMI, Connor Riddle posted eight stops, including two for loss with a sack and lineman Jordan Ward garnered four stops including a sack. Two of Carter Johnson's tackles went for loss with a third VMI sack.
 
Western Carolina remains at home for the second of back-to-back home games, hosting The Citadel (0-6, 0-2 SoCon), which fell in overtime to Chattanooga on Saturday in Charleston, S.C. Kickoff at Whitmire Stadium / Waters Field is scheduled for 1 p.m. It will be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network and ESPN+ (paid subscription required).