1996 VMI Keydets football team

The 1996 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 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their third year under head coach Bill Stewart, the team compiled an overall record of 3–8, with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, placing tied for seventh in the SoCon.^[1] Stewart resigned in December, and compiled an all-time record of 8–25 during his tenure of head coach of the Keydets from 1994 through 1996.^[2]

1996 VMI Keydets football
Conference	Southern Conference
Record	3–8 (2–6 SoCon)
Head coach	Bill Stewart (3rd season)
Home stadium	Alumni Memorial Field
Seasons ← 1995 1997 →

1996 Southern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 1 Marshall $^		8	–	0					15	–	0
No. T–8 East Tennessee State ^		7	–	1					10	–	3
No. 13 Furman ^		6	–	2					9	–	4
No. 25 Appalachian State		5	–	3					7	–	4
The Citadel		3	–	5					4	–	7
Georgia Southern		2	–	6					4	–	7
VMI		2	–	6					3	–	8
Chattanooga		2	–	6					3	–	8
Western Carolina		1	–	7					4	–	7
$ – Conference champion Rankings from The Sports Network poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 7	at Ole Miss*	Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS	L 7–31	28,196	[3]
September 14	at No. 23 William & Mary*	Zable Stadium Williamsburg, VA (rivalry)	L 21–40	9,614	[4]
September 21	at East Tennessee State	Memorial Center Johnson City, TN	L 0–38	4,711	[5]
September 28	Furman	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	L 14–31	6,218	[6]
October 5	at No. 25 Georgia Southern	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA	L 17–20	12,041	[7]
October 12	No. 1 Marshall	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	L 20–45	9,165	[8]
October 19	at Chattanooga	Chamberlain Field Chattanooga, TN	W 28–14	6,490	[9]
November 2	Western Carolina	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA	L 14–28	4,781	[10]
November 9	Richmond*	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA (rivalry)	W 20–7	4,911	[11]
November 16	The Citadel	Alumni Memorial Field Lexington, VA (rivalry)	W 34–27 2OT	7,478	[12]
November 23	at No. 25 Appalachian State	Kidd Brewer Stadium Boone, NC	L 14–26	8,260	[13]
*Non-conference game Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game