LEXINGTON, VA. — VMI used a pair of late second quarter touchdowns to build a 21-10 lead and held off Furman to claim a 21-17 win in Southern Conference football action Saturday afternoon at Foster Stadium.

The Keydets (1-8, 1-4 SoCon), who ran only 43 offensive plays, were outgained 412-177, and managed just two first downs and 31 total yards in the second half while being shut out, benefited from three turnovers by the Paladins (2-6, 1-3 SoCon) to collect the victory, only their third in 32 meetings since 1980.

Furman, meanwhile, registered 87 offensive plays and controlled the football for 39:35 in the contest, but the Paladins failed to convert yards and time of possession into points.  The final missed opportunity came after Furman, trailing 21-17, covered 66 yards in 14 plays to the VMI 3 before losing two yards on a fumbled second down snap.  Quarterback Carson Jones was then sacked on third down at the VMI 7, and his fourth down pass attempt to Ben Ferguson was batted down short of the goal line with 2:45 remaining in the contest.

The Paladins took over at their own 34 with 1:41 remaining following a VMI punt, but on the first play Jones' pass along the sideline was intercepted by Shamus Jones at the Keydet 48.

True freshman Gavin Hall headlined Furman's offense with 13 rushes for a 121 yards (9.3 ypc) — the Paladins' first 100-yard rushing effort of the season.  Furman's 195 rushing yards marked a season high.

Colton Hinton caught eight passes for 88 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown grab in first quarter that tied the game at 7-7.

A 46-yard run by Hall midway thru the second quarter gave Furman first-and-goal at the VMI 7, but the Paladins were forced to settle for a 29-yard Ian Williams field goal for its only lead of the game, 10-7, with 8:54 remaining in the first half.
 
Hunter Rice's two-yard touchdown plunge capped a six-play, 75-yard drive to put the Keydets up 14-10 with 5:22 to go.  On the ensuing possession VMI's Eric Rankin sacked Furman quarterback Trey Hedden at the Furman 46, forcing a fumble, which he scooped up at 40 and returned 36 yards to the Paladin 4.  Two plays later Jo Jo Crump ran three yards for the touchdown, with the PAT giving the Keydets a 21-10 lead with 1:56 on the first half clock.

The Paladins threatened just before the half, moving to the VMI 32, but Hedden was sacked on third down at the Keydet 41, and Ian Williams' 59-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds missed left.

Furman put together a 16-play, 87-yard third quarter drive in the third quarter slice VMI's advantage to 21-17 on quarterback Carson Jones' four-yard connection with tight end Brock Chappell on a fourth-and-one play.

The Paladins, however could not capitalize on their final three possessions, turning it over on downs at the VMI 23 and 10, and with their second interception of the contest that sealed the verdict.