VMI kicked a field goal as the horn sounded at halftime to regain a lead that held up as the 22nd-ranked Keydets earned a hard-fought 31-21 victory over Cornell on Saturday evening in front of a Homecoming crowd of 12,555 at Schoellkopf Field. VMI improved to 2-1 on the season, while the Big Red dropped its first game played in nearly two years.