The 1920 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 30th season of organized football, during the

1920 college football season The 1920 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the ''Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book'' listing California, Georgia, Harvard, Notre Dame, and Princeton as national champions. Only California and Princeton claim na ...

. Led by first-year head coach

Blandy Clarkson Blandy Benjamin Clarkson (March 15, 1890 – December 2, 1954) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He was the 16th head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia, serving for s ...

, the Keydets went 9–0 and outscored opponents 431 to 20.VMI Football Record Book
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College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

inductee

Jimmy Leech Jimmy Leech (April 13, 1897 – August 16, 1951) was an American college football player. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956. Leech starred on the undefeated 1920 VMI Keydets football team, leading the nation in scorin ...

starred on the team, leading the nation in scoring with 210 points. Leech was selected third-team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

Walter Camp Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage and the system ...

. The season included the first instance of the rivalry with

The Citadel The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...

, which would later become known as the

Military Classic of the South The Military Classic of the South is an American college football rivalry game played between The Citadel and the Virginia Military Institute. The first game between the two military schools was in 1920. The game has been played nearly continuous ...

. The team was nicknamed "The Flying Squadron."

Schedule

''The 1920 schedule''
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References

{{SAIAA football champions VMI VMI Keydets football seasons South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association football champion seasons 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 ...