VMI defeats Gardner-Webb 27-9

Published Nov. 9, 2013 5:21 p.m. ET

foxsports

Sam Patterson caught a 26-yard touchdown pass as Virginia Military Institute defeated Gardner-Webb 27-9 Saturday.

Patterson has now caught a TD pass in five consecutive games for VMI (2-8, 1-4 Big South).

It was the Keydets' day from the start. Gardner-Webb (5-5, 0-3) ended its first series on offense when Lucas Beatty, the Runnin' Bulldogs quarterback, took a bad snap, ran backward nine yards and fumbled in the end zone. Weston Reber recovered the fumble for a touchdown to give VMI a 7-0 lead.

Juanne Blount led Gardner-Webb with 61 yards rushing and one touchdown. Blount now has 906 yards rushing, moving closer to becoming the school's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2011.

The Keydets played their last game as a Big South Conference member, and move to the Southern Conference next season.