Andrew Miller is a sports reporter, covering The Citadel, College of Charleston, S.C. Stingrays, Charleston Battery, etc. Before joining The Post and Courier in 1989, he graduated from South Carolina with a degree in journalism.

The Citadel coach Maurice Drayton is a huge fan of boring football.

It was a part of his DNA when Drayton was cadet at the downtown military school, playing defensive back for former Bulldog head coaches Charlie Taaffe and Don Powers in the mid-1990s.

The formula was simple, run the ball, control the clock, play solid defense and win the special teams. Sounds pretty boring, but it's been a recipe for success for the Bulldogs for decades.

"We want to play boring football," Drayton said. "We need to play more boring football. We want to run the ball, we want to win the time of possession and that way we can keep the ball away from the other team's offense and limit their explosive plays.

"I love boring football. I think coach Taaffe and coach Powers would be so proud of what we're doing right now. The first time we threw a forward pass in a game, I felt a nudge on my shoulder. I think it was the angels from on high telling me not to do that very often."

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This past weekend in a 30-16 loss to Western Carolina, the Bulldogs were able to play 'boring football' for large chunks of the game.

The Citadel rushed for 274 yards and held onto the ball for six minutes longer than the Catamounts.

"We won multiple categories that normally would add up to a win," Drayton said. "It was boring, but it was also effective, and we have to continue to develop that part of our game."

Drayton said playing 'boring' football will be a key for the Bulldogs (2-5, 0-4 in Southern Conference) as they travel to face VMI (0-6, 0-2) on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Memorial Field in Lexington, Va.

"We want to put them to sleep with our brand of football," he said. "Our players have given great effort all season. But we need them to give intentional effort and smart effort. You can run real fast, but you might be running in the wrong direction.

"We need to channel that energy, enthusiasm and effort in the right direction, so we can execute a little bit better and come out on top."

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One of the reasons, The Citadel lost to Western Carolina was because of the Bulldogs' struggles in the red zone - both offensively and defensively.

The Catamounts were a perfect 5 for 5 when they got into the red zone with four touchdowns and a short field goal.

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The Bulldogs, meanwhile, were just 1 of 4 with a missed field goal and two interceptions.

"We have to win the red zone," Drayton said.

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For the season, the Bulldogs have scored at a 70 percent (19 of 27) clip when they've gotten inside the red zone, while the defense has allowed points in 80 percent (20 of 25) of their opponents trips to the red zone.

Drayton said the Bulldogs normally spend one day a week on red zone situations, but that it will be a point of emphasis this week.

"We're going to put in some extra periods this week on our red zone schemes," Drayton said. "There will be competitions and accountability. The losers will have to do extra running or push ups. Our players have been told that as long as you compete and fight hard it's OK. Winning and losing doesn't matter, but winning and losing does matter."

Quarterback controversy?

There is no quarterback controversy at The Citadel. Johnathan Bennett is the starter and that's not going to change.

But expect to see more of Dustin Fletcher and true freshman Cobey Thompkins.

Fletcher entered the game in the third quarter against Western Carolina and led the Bulldogs on a long drive that took the ball to the Catamounts' 5-yard line. The Bulldogs missed a short field goal on the possession.

Fletcher carried the ball five times for 50 yards, including a 30-yard gain on his second play from scrimmage.

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"Dustin is a very capable back-up and he's going to get some more work as the season goes on," Drayton said. "We're trying to build a program, not a season. In order to build a program, young guys have to play and we're going to get some of our younger guys on the field over the next five games."

The coaching staff is very high on Thompkins, a 6-1, 185-pound dual threat quarterback.

"We've been very pleased with Cobey's development since he's been on campus," Drayton said.