Everything From Brent Key After Georgia Tech's 31-28 Loss to Syracuse

Georgia Tech lost 31-28 on the road today vs Syracuse

Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the sideline against Georgia State Panthers in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It will be a very brief stay in the AP top 25 for Georgia Tech after they lost to Syracuse on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets gave up over 500 yards of total offense today in the loss and took far too long to get going on the offensive side. The Yellow Jackets struggled to run the ball today and could not get any pressure on Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord, who had another four-touchdown day.

After the game, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say.

Opening Statement...

"Congrats to Syracuse and Fran, they played a good football game. You know, it's good to see another team in the league. We've been working to be a good football program. They played well today. So credit to them. Look, I think the biggest work is inconsistency. And that's what we've been working on and trying to come it's consistent. Well, this game was an epitome of that from the offensive standpoint with inconsistency where I'm just looking, you're talking about, you know, 10 drives total in the game where five we had long drives and five were, you know, three and out or four and out. So, you know, ability to sustain, be positive on first downs and get it to and be able to keep the chains moving. We weren't able to do that. You know, then one of those long drives was one right before half of missed a goal. So the inconsistency was all over the place there. And that's where we have to, you know, come back in and really see how we can become better in that aspect of the defensive side. You know, We knew we were going against this really good quarterback, and we were not able to affect him with the rush, and he was able to sit back there and hit some open receivers. So, you know, for the seam game, you know, the guys were hitting up the pipe, and I think it was three or three or four big third downs, where they were able to hit the ball and get the ball to the intended target, and we didn't challenge the guy. So we've got a lot of work to do. That's what we know we are as a football team. We'll come back in tomorrow and be getting to work with the guys and the team. Better version of ourselves next week than we were this week."

1. On not being the more physical team...

"You know, that's the thing. We have, we knew coming up here, right, that they were going to have a physical football team. You turn on the tape from the first game, and you see that, you know that, right? You know they were a physical team, so we had to be a more physical team coming here, and that's what we control. We control that. And I thought at times, you know, today it really showed that we were not. Hey, and look, you know, I'm not talking about guys, you know, you get a run, no run. I'm talking about ability to set the line of scrimmage, okay? Ability to stop the run in a short guard situation. You know, won't really any kicks covered in that aspect, you know, with the touchbacks or the one on side and the other of the points where, you know, actually had a really good day coming to the ball. So, You know, look, at the end of the day, when you can't convert those things and stop them from converting, all right, that comes down to the physicality and inability to, you know, set the line of scrimmage and start the line of scrimmage."

2. On the defense not being able to affect McCord...

"Yeah, we weren't coming home, you know, whether we, you know, rush three, rush four, rush five. So, I mean, they were, you know, had a hat on a half, we weren't able to come home. So that's something we've got to continue to work on and improve, ability to get to the quarterback. We can't let quarterback sit back there and just, you know, have all day to throw the football."

3. On the Syracuse 4th down conversion where they rushed the snap...

"Yeah, we will take a look at that and see exactly what the issue was. We were not in the right sense of being able to come and rush in coming out there and we have to have the plays called that can execute. Look, regardless of what the play was, we got beat on the line of scrimmage."

4. On what Syracuse was able to do to limit Jamal Haynes...

"Yeah, they do a good job playing in 3 -2, the defensive front with the down safety, rover safeties on the edge. So we've got to be able to make better adjust. You know, adjusting that would be better. And look, we had the right, you know, things to go to, and then it comes down to be able to execute and be able to get those."

5. On if the crowd noise affected them...

"Not until the 4th quarter. I thought the stadium got loud and was able to help the other team."

6. On Malik Rutherford's injury...

"Yeah just coming off, he landed and it was an out of breath type thing so we will see where he is at and I will go talk to the trainers to see what is up with him."

7. On being more consistent...

"Look the thing we said was you know, and consistency starts, you know, with the day, you know, within the practice, consistency within a week, you know, to build week to week, be able to level to focus in on your job and doing your job and knowing that each individual plays the most important play, right, each individual day is the most important day, you know, just taking everything back to a microscope of what we've got to That's what we've got to be able to do. So consistency is something that we're chasing. We're working for it. But we're not there yet, and that was obvious about the game today."

8. On the end of the first half decision and the decision to take the chop-block penalty on Syracuse's last drive...

"On the first one, yeah we had to get in the locker room , they were running up and down the field and I did not want them to have time left to kick a field goal or score with limited time on the clock. On the chop block, we took the downs over the yards, at that point when they are creating chunk plays, downs were more important at that time."

9. On if being in the top 25 was a distraction...

"No I don't, I do not, not one bit think that. Those are things that I said earlier in the week that those are the things that they come with when you have success. Look, you've got to be able to handle those things. I did not see one thing in the week that led me to believe that."