Citadel coach Maurice Drayton has a simple plan for VMI’s offense: Stop Keydets running back Hunter Rice.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, slowing down the 6-0, 230-pound senior is easier said than done. Drayton learned that lesson the hard way last season against the Keydets.

A year ago, Rice rushed for a game-high 111 yards and scored two touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown with less than five minutes left in regulation as VMI retained the Silver Shako with a 17-13 win.

The Citadel will look to bring the coveted Silver Shako back to the Lowcountry when the Bulldogs face VMI in the Military Classic of the South on Oct. 19 at Foster Stadium.

While the VMI offense has had some struggles this season and the Keydets rank last in the league in nearly every major statistical category, Rice has been one of the best running backs in the Southern Conference.

Rice ranks fourth in the SoCon in rushing and averages more than 70 yards on the ground per game. He is also second in VMI with 11 receptions.

“Hunter Rice makes the offense happen, he’s awesome,” Drayton said at this weekly press conference. “I can’t say enough about this gentleman. He scored the game-winning touchdown against us last year. I had nightmares all week about how to stop him.”

After last year’s loss to VMI, Drayton made it a point to keep his players on the field and watch the Keydets celebrate the victory.

“I wanted it to hurt, and it should hurt if you care,” Drayton said. “I hope it added fuel to the fire for the guys who were here last year.”

Quarterback option

Citadel starting quarterback Johnathan Bennett rushed for a career-high 155 yards in the Bulldogs’ 30-16 loss to Western Carolina last weekend.

Most of Bennett’s rushes came on designed runs. Even backup quarterback Dustin Fletcher had 50 rushing yards on his first series, including a long run of 30 yards.

Expect to see more of this in the next five games.

“Some of the runs came from our option play, some were just designed runs,” Drayton said. “We’ll take what the defense gives us, but option is in my DNA. “We want our quarterbacks in our offensive system to be able to make those plays and runs.”

Team speed

One of the Bulldogs’ main concerns over the last two seasons has been the team’s overall speed, or lack thereof.

Drayton is trying to address the issue through recruitment but admits it will take time.

“Our team’s speed in the Southern Conference is below average and we know it,” Drayton said. “We are aware of our limitations and our abilities. We need to go out and create more team speed across the board from top to bottom.”

Drayton isn’t just looking for pure foot speed, but also players who play the game at a high level.

“There’s speed and then there’s game speed,” Drayton said. “You would like to have both, but these players usually end up at the Power 5 level. We also want guys who play fast so they can read and react and make quicker decisions.”