VMI looked the part of a team transitioning from a triple-option offense to a pro-style offense last season. The Keydets averaged 15.8 points per game and didn’t do anything particularly well. They threw 20 interceptions and only 12 touchdowns. As a team, they failed to hit the 1,000-yard mark in net rushing. They averaged more than 50 yards in penalties per game.

The system change wasn’t made until the spring, leaving coach Sparky Woods to try to use players recruited for the triple-option system in the new offense. Square peg, round hole, etc. It just didn’t work.

The two players probably most ready for the change—quarterbacks Eric Kordenbrock and Adam Morgan—were inexperienced and struggled behind an offensive line trying to learn a completely new blocking scheme.

Woods hopes the growing pains are over, and that the Keydets are ready to take a step forward offensively in 2011.

“I don’t think there’s any question about it,” Woods said on July 29 at Big South media day in Charlotte. “Going to this offense was kind of two-fold. One, we thought it would be the right thing to do offensively. Two, it was important to our defense, and they made great strides practicing against things they were going to see. We weren’t very good at defending the pass, and we threw the ball at them in practice.

“This year, I think we can see great improvement offensively. There’s so much changeover from that kind of offense to this. Our receivers were primarily blockers and didn’t have much opportunity to catch the ball. Now they’re really involved in the offense. Our offensive line had to make the biggest adjustment, because they were in a way forward stance where they were running off the ball. Now they’re in a more balanced stance where they can go backwards and forward, you know, the whole thing.

“Our quarterbacks have so much more awareness with what we’re trying to do. They know where we’re trying to go with the ball better, so we’re not so apt to try to hold the ball and get caught up in sacks and throwing interceptions and getting in long-yardage situations. I believe we’ve found ourselves now with more weapons at receiver and two 200-pound backs, so I think we’ll see dividends of our decision to go to this thing this year.”

—As for the quarterback situation, Kordenbrock and Morgan will continue to battle throughout fall camp to see who starts the Sept. 3 opener against Delaware State.

“I would hope that before we would play (DSU), we would know,” Woods said. “If not then, at least long before we get into conference play.”

—Safety Bryon Allen and linebacker A.J. Gross are the key players returning defensively for a Keydets team that must replace its entire starting defensive front. Gross led the team with 110 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and one sack, and Allen was second on the squad with 78 tackles last year.

“Byron has played a lot of football,” Woods said. “He’s older and he understands what we’re trying to do. He’s a physical football player. He can play in the back end and play closer to the line of scrimmage. I think our Achilles the last few years has been that last barrier of defense, and I think we should be better in that area where people spread you out more and you have to make those sure tackles back there.”

—Trae Watkins, a senior cornerback from VES, was part of Jim Reid’s last recruiting class at the Institute. But he’s turned into a major contributor for the Keydets in the defensive backfield, and Woods was impressed with Watkins’ off-season work in the weight room.

“Like everybody else, we have weight-room tests that we do, and we have a lifter of the year award,” Woods said. “He won it this year. He was the first skill guy like that to win it. It’s always won by a bigger guy, a linebacker or an up lineman. So it says something about his athletic skills. They’ve really developed. He’s set to have a real good season.”

—VMI went 3-8 last season and the Keydets’ victories came against Division II Lock Haven, a two-win Presbyterian College team and a three-win Charleston Southern team. The Keydets failed to hit the 10-point mark seven times last season. Woods is a competitive guy who has coached at big-time places like South Carolina, Virginia, Appalachian State and Tennessee.

The little moral victories only take him so far. The continued losing in Lexington is eating at him, just as it eats at the Keydets’ proud alumni base.

“I’ve got the best job in the world Sunday through Friday,” Woods said. “We have to make the Saturdays better. One of our goals, among other things, is to have fun. It’s just hard to have fun if you don’t win. I’m ready for us to win. I think it’ll be a grand day when we do. I’d like for it to be this year. I’m very optimistic. I have great respect for the people we’re playing, and I realize they’re getting better too. I feel like our football team is a lot better team than we’ve had since I’ve been here.”