Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø

Saturday will mark another first in Ferrum football history — the Panthers’ first game against VMI.

The Panthers will visit FCS member VMI at 1:30 p.m. in a game that will air on ESPN Plus.

“Playing a Division I team’s a bigger challenge, so everybody’s excited,� Ferrum quarterback Eli Foutz said this week.

“The locker room’s jumping around,� Ferrum offensive guard/center Trey Reiter said. “Yesterday before practice everybody was going crazy.�

Last weekend VMI was the team stepping up in weight class. FBS member Navy squashed the visiting Keydets 52-7.

Now VMI will be the team that is expected to win.

“We’re not favored in many games,� VMI coach Danny Rocco said on a video conference this week. “This would be one of the games where people will say, and rightfully so, ‘VMI’s favored to win this game.’ We don’t play in many games like that.

“It’s a different role. … I keep referencing to what Navy did last week. … They didn’t play as if they were the favorite. They played as if they were the underdog and they came out there with great execution, great focus and unrelenting will to not misfire.

“This week we’ve got to be able to say for ourselves, ‘All right, tables have turned, how are we going to respond in this role as a favorite?’�

VMI funds 63 full football scholarships, while Ferrum is funding less than 10 full football scholarships this year in its move up from Division III.

“We’re not worried,� Ferrum receiver Omarza Gray said of taking on VMI. “Every team is human.�

VMI beat Division II member Tusculum 20-11 in 2018 and thrashed Division II member Mars Hill 63-21 in 2019. But VMI but did lose to Division II member North Greenville 37-24 in 2013 and lost to Division II member Catawba 27-20 in 2017.

Ferrum is coming off a 45-13 loss at Catawba last weekend.

“I’m surprised how we played,� Ferrum coach Kevin Sherman said. “I was disappointed.

“You don’t execute, you don’t take care of the ball, you’re going to lose.�

Ferrum will reap $35,000 from VMI for Saturday’s game.

VMI turned to Ferrum after Division II member UVa-Wise needed to move its visit to Lexington from this year to a future season.

Sherman, who was a VMI assistant from 1993-96, agreed to the game because finding enough Division II teams to fill Ferrum’s schedule was difficult.

“We understand the challenge that’s in front of us,� Sherman said of Saturday’s game. “Our kids know a lot of their kids. … It’s an opportunity to play a Division I opponent and to play on a stage to where they can showcase their talents and who we are as a program.�

Reiter will be facing his former college Saturday. The Lord Botetourt graduate was on the VMI team in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

“It’s kind of surreal because I still know a lot of guys up there,� Reiter said. “It’s kind of like playing your old friends back in rec ball.�

Reiter said he left VMI for personal reasons. He is in his second season at Ferrum.

He scored the first touchdown of his football career last weekend when, while playing offensive guard, he fell on the football in the end zone after Foutz fumbled.

“It was so cool,� Reiter said.

Foutz, a third-year sophomore who graduated from Franklin County High School, started at quarterback in his Ferrum debut last weekend. The Emory & Henry transfer completed 12 of 19 passes for 108 yards.

“In high school, … we ran the ball a lot and most of the throws were sprint-outs or play-action,� Foutz said. “In college, I’ve gotten a lot better as a drop-back passer and (with) reading defenses.�

Foutz also ran for 50 yards on 11 carries last weekend.

“(Running is) something I can do pretty well,� he said. “I wouldn’t consider myself Lamar Jackson or anything, … but I feel like I can do it when I need to.�

“He created some plays with his feet, was able to make some throws as well,� Sherman said. “We didn’t make enough of them.�

Foutz completed four passes as a backup for Division II member Emory & Henry last fall. He transferred to Ferrum over winter break and was with the Panthers for spring practice this year.

“I just wanted to be closer to home, be close to my family,� he said.

Gray, a freshman who graduated from William Fleming, started at receiver in his college debut last weekend.

“I was ecstatic, coming in as a true freshman, being able to play my first game,� he said.

Gray said he picked Ferrum over a scholarship offer from Emory & Henry and a walk-on offer from VMI.

He had two catches and also returned four kickoffs for 120 yards. He was named the Conference Carolinas special teams player of the week.

So how was his transition to the college game?

“It was really easy,� he said. “As long as you have the correct mindset and the correct mentality, you can … do whatever you put your mind to.�

What will VMI’s mindset be on Saturday?

Will Rocco say anything to his Keydets to try to make sure they don’t take Ferrum lightly?

“After last week, I can’t really see taking anybody too lightly,� Rocco said. “Regardless of the opponent, we’re going to have to really focus on our execution and our ability to perform at a more consistent level.�

The Midshipmen piled up 556 yards of total offense to VMI’s 212.

“They were very disciplined, very efficient, unwilling to … give us any kind of a break,� Rocco said of Navy.

VMI rushed for just 15 yards on 22 carries.

“The thing that frustrated me was we couldn’t run the ball,� Rocco said.

VMI allowed five sacks.

“If you were running the ball, you wouldn’t be having those kind of negative plays,� Rocco said. “I’d like to … come out of this (Ferrum) game feeling like we were able to run and pass.�

Rocco said reserve running back Ebenezer McCarthy suffered a knee injury at Navy and will most likely miss the rest of the season. Running back Kam Johnson (North Cross) is expected to miss his second straight game with a knee injury.