The 1899 VMI Keydets football team represented the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

(VMI) in their ninth season of organized football.

Sam Boyle Samuel Alexander Boyle Jr. (November 28, 1876 – October 30, 1923) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute (1898–1899), Pennsylvania State University (1899), ...

coached his second season for the Keydets, which featured only one game—a 39–0 win over . Although the team only played one game in mid-October, the squad was assembled for practice in early September. The 1899 football season at VMI was cut short by an outbreak of typhoid fever on the campus. As reported by one account: "VMI had time to crush only Washington and Lee 39–0 before the 1899 season was abruptly ended by an outbreak of typhoid fever which closed the Institute for six weeks." On October 16, 1899, all 250 cadets were sent to their homes on account of the outbreak. At least one cadet died in the outbreak, and the school was not re-opened until November 28, 1899—after the football season had ended. VMI's sole opponent for the year, Washington and Lee, finished the season with a record of 0–4–1. The "Keydets" of VMI handed their one opponent the biggest defeat (by score) of the season. In the lone game of the season, W. B. "Bruce" Montgomery Jr., the captain and quarterback for VMI, scored a

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...

on an 80-yard carry. Montgomery would go on to the next season to be team captain and assist with coaching duties. One of the individuals who played for the VMI football team in 1899 and 1900 was

George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Chief of Staff of the US Army under Pre ...

, who went on to be Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of State, and

Secretary of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

Schedule

References

VMI Keydets football seasons VMI College football undefeated seasons

VMI Keydets football The VMI Keydets football team represents the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. The Keydets compete in the Southern Conference of the NCAA Division I FCS, and are coached by Danny Rocco, named head coach on December 3, 2022. VMI p ...

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