VMI vs. Richmond University Football Game: The Corps held captive by Rain

Editor's note: The Cadet expresses its appreciation to the University of Richmond Athletic Department Communications staff for providing on-field press credentials and press box seats, allowing our reporters to cover the game. On Saturday, 21 September 2025, the Keydets travelled across Virginia to face the Richmond Spiders for an FCS battle. This was VMI and Richmond's 91st meeting. A member of the corps tagged along to support the Keydets in Richmond, which included three battalion rat companies as well as members of the Old Corps. Upon arrival, it was a very sunny and beautiful day for football. The Rats marched through the U of R campus from the buses. Students and fans of the University of R stopped to watch with puzzled expressions, confused by what was occurring before them. At the game, the alumni, many of whom were from Richmond, had set up a tent for everyone to gather. Alumni attended from all over the country, with one alumnus from the Class of '68 traveling from Colorado. Parents of cadets also showed up in large numbers for the game. In all, the away section, for VMI, had more people than the Richmond home side, and the numbers were not close. The two student sections were also incomparable. Richmond's vague semblance of a student section was sparsely populated, while our traveling corps section was mighty and high-spirited throughout the game. The alumni were high-spirited with high expectations for the Keydets after seeing good play at the beginning of the season. Most of which cited the offense as looking a lot more efficient than usual. Others were happy with the player retention compared to previous seasons. Some, who were looking at the grand landscape of the NCAA, were nervous about the program's future performance, as college football was distancing itself from traditional values and rules. Foreseeing the future, it is becoming increasingly complex for VMI to attract top talent, which places a greater emphasis on player development. All were in agreement that the team had developed and bounced back from the lackluster season last year. The alumni and parents, with high morale, consistently stated that they had high expectations for Keydets football this season. Even though the score may not have shown it, there were things for the Keydet nation to be excited about. The game began with a 2 pm kick-off. The game progressed with a Richmond touchdown on a drive that mainly consisted of runs that became increasingly harder for the Keydets' defense to stop. The Richmond coaches quickly identified the run defense as a weakness. Although the Keydets instantly responded with a one-play touchdown reception from receiver Owen Sweeney for 75 yards, it was an electric start to the Keydets' offensive play. The short pass led to an all-out foot race by the young receiver to the endzone, which he won. The away side, absent the band, was alive with the singing of the VMI Spirit a cappella by the rats. This excitement was then met with a two-play touchdown drive by Richmond. Out of nowhere, the sky opened, and down came torrential rain, which enveloped the field of play. This drastic change in the weather led to a fumbled snap by the Keydets, which they were able to recover. Then, everyone ran off the field to cover as the game was called into a 30-minute weather delay that slowly turned into 2 hours of delays. For the first minutes of the delay, the rats stood valiantly in the derecho-type conditions, striking fear into all the fans who ran for cover. The delays led many fans to leave the stadium, understandably. This is especially after Richmond police had the stadium evacuated. Once the sky cleared and warm-ups started, the fans who were left came out from their shelters to soldier on and see the game through to the end. None of which were Richmond fans, except for those in the press or hospitality boxes. The home stands were empty. Emptiness was far from the truth on the other side. Keydet nation weathered the storm in mass to see it through. Once play resumed, VMI came out swinging at the beginning of the second quarter with a second touchdown catch for Owen Sweeney. This came through a 20-yard TD pass after an 80-yard drive from the Keydets. The long-fought 14-play touchdown drive that brought the game to a tied 14-14 was met with a touchdown pass by Richmond. From then on, the Spiders were in the driver's seat and never looked back. The next Keydet drive ended in an interception. The Keydet offense went stagnant for the rest of the game, racking up three-and-outs on five of their last seven drives. Although they did pick up one forced fumble and recovery on defense, which led to one of the three-and-outs. The Spiders were able to score 24 points unanswered in the end. The Spiders rushed for 353 yards on the ground, which shows the weakness in our defense. In all, the Keydets played well, showcasing a potent offense in the first half. Although it was not at the same caliber in the second half as in the first, it gave hope to many about what can be achieved in the near future. With fans and the corps excited for Keydet football, the rest of this season promises to be something to look forward to.