The 2017 VMI Keydets football team represented the Virginia Military Institute in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. It was VMI's 127th football season. The Keydets were led by third-year head coach Scott Wachenheim. They played their home games at 10,000–seat Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium. This was VMI's fourth season as a member of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 0–11, 0–8 in SoCon play to finish in last place. This was VMI's fourth winless season and the first time they had gone winless since 2004. Schedule Source: Projected depth chart Game summaries at Air Force VMI opened the season with their first ever matchup against Air Force. It was the first time the program played a game in Colorado and the farthest west VMI has ever travelled. The game started off poorly for the visitors, as VMI allowed the Falcons to march down the field for an eight-play, 65-yard drive capped off by a 27-yard touchdown run by Tim McVey. Later in the first quarter, Air Force quarterback Arion Worthman found Geraud Saunders for a 57-yard touchdown strike that put the Falcons ahead 14–0. Air Force only piled on from there, as Worthman found Saunders in the endzone again to start the second, followed up by two rushing touchdowns in the final six minutes of the quarter, as the Falcons went into the locker room with a 35–0 advantage. More worrisome for the Keydets was that starting quarterback Austin Coulling was carted off the field in the second quarter after receiving a hit from Falcons safety Garrett Kauppila. Coulling did not return to the contest. Air Force continued to pile on the scoring in the second half, as Malik Miller punched it into the endzone from five yards out. Later, Nolan Eriksen added a three-yard rushing score, and the Falcon defense would preserve the shutout, winning 62–0. VMI struggled offensively all day, gaining only six first downs to Air Force's 32. The Keydets had only 55 rushing yards, compared to the Falcons' 473. VMI used three quarterbacks—Coulling, Duncan Hodges, and Reece Udinski—who combined to complete 10 of 19 passes for only 40 yards with one interception, by Udinski. The loss marked the sixth consecutive season-opening defeat for VMI. Catawba VMI was hoping to earn their first win of the season over Division II-Catawba in their first meeting with the Indians since 1990. The game