Everything from Brent Key after Georgia Tech's Win Over Georgia State

Georgia Tech got the win over the Panthers and Brent Key spoke to the media after the game

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-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech did not have a letdown performance last night against Georgia State and the Yellow Jackets got the 35-12 win. It was not always perfect, but Georgia Tech is now 2-0 heading into their matchup with Syracuse. After the game, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say.

Opening Statement...

"A good win. It was good to be able to get back here at home, have a game at home, have a night game at home. I thought we did some good things in the game. I thought we did some things we got to work on. A lot of those showed up. But when you look at the game, there was a lot of drives on both sides, offense and defense, that we had some self -defeating errors where there was a penalty and we kept their drive alive or we had a penalty and installed some of the things with ours and it just makes it a lot harder. It really does. And even the first, you know, touchdown drive of the game, you know, Haynes has a big run. We get called back and, you know, we'll take a look at them on film and be able to really see and see what the issues are, especially some of the perimeter holding plays. Sometimes it's the, you know, the back, you know, there. Offense was able to have punched in a couple of times on those. And really, we talk about the middle eight of the game where the last of the first half we're able to score and then coming out in the second half, we're able to score on those plays. So we're able to really extend the lead there. But all and all was a good win. Happy for the guys. Happy to go to play a team right and, you know, be able to enjoy it tonight and then get back to work and really clean up a lot of the things we've got to clean up."

1. On the defensive performance, especially in the redzone...

"Yeah, you know, there's a lot of things that, you know, we're still playing through. And, you know, a lot of times we get bad eyes. We might be caught looking in the back field, you know, looking at the wrong keys, some motions and different things. first game to this game that we're able to grow on. And now from this game, like I said, we have two first games. It was a very unique situation in the season, having really two first games almost. But there's a lot of things we've got to clean up and work on. But we can always build on those things. It's always good to build on them after a win for sure."

2. On what he saw from Anthony Carrie and the running back depth...

"Yeah, feel good. I mean, you know, running back's position, you know, you get banged up. And, you know, that's the nature of the nature of the game at that position. So, You know, it was good to see Anthony get in there. You know, I thought by that point, we'd been running the ball. You know, the, you know, accumulated blows over and over throughout the game. It started to take its course and, you know, good to see him break off a couple of runs there. And it's good to see him holding them to the football. You know, made a real effort, you know, carrying the ball high and tight and holding on to it."

3. On Malik Rutherford's Performance...

"I don't know if we have enough time to talk about Malik. He's like one of my favorite people in the world. You talk a guy that's got energy every single day. He loves playing the game. I mean, he loves playing football. He really does. And to see him be able to get out and do so many different things, he's so versatile, whether it's playing slot receiver, whether it's the deep balls and play action, the screens, the rounds, I mean, the different things he's able to do. He's a huge asset for us and a huge piece of what we do on offense."

4. On the offense's versatility...

"Yeah, you know, the key to it all is being able to get guys touches. And when you have a lot of guys that can be explosive, and we talked about it this week, and, you know, in order to create explosives, you've got to get the ball to explosive playmakers. So, you know, we've been creative in ways to get those guys the ball. You call a pass concept, I mean, it doesn't always dictate who it goes to. You can kind of limit it a little bit based on it. But when you have some of the different reverses and rounds and sweeps and those things, you can guarantee who's going to get the ball. And I thought Buster did a good job of spreading the ball around and getting the ball to the guys that can make plays."

5. On what the defense did to hold them to 1-3 in the redzone and 3-12 on third down...

"Well they executed and that is the whole key to defensive football. Getting aligned and execute what the call is, making sure you are in the right gaps blitzing when you're supposed to blitz, you know, making the right adjustments with different formations. You know, so within, you know, third down packages, we were able to, you know, get different packages in there, be able to, you know, just collapse the pocket. You know, a couple times the quarterback got away, got free and scrambled out of there, which we got to do a better job on that, of condensing the pocket and being able to get off the block and make a play before he's able to do that. So I didn't realize, you said, it was 3 of 12. Yeah, and then they had a couple of fourths so they went for on fourth. Again, it's a lot of teachable moments out there that we have to build on. It's early in the season. So we have to take these things. We have to understand that wins are hard to come by, and we're excited to get a win for sure. And we've got to turn around tomorrow and be able to get these things corrected and be be able to move on to the next opponent."

6. On playing complementary football...

"ou know, that's something we talk about a lot is complimentary football. And, you know, special teams comes in that as You know, it seems like Rodney is about a shoe string away right now from hitting a big one in the punt return game. You know, they got too much yardage on the first kickoff that we had. But I thought we came back and, you know, Aidan put the majority of them out of the back of the end zone. And I think we had one more we had a chance to make a play on, you know, David did a good job of putting the punts where they needed to be. You know, it's a position game and you know that it doesn't matter what game you play I mean it's a you get the field position is really big and you know that's where the offense defense and special teams I mean I only have ever been involved in the game where the first offensive drive started the minus one and then the next offensive drive started at the plus 20 so you know it truly was you know being able to compliment each other and take advantage of those opportunities."

7. On how this win shows growth in the program...

"Well, it showed consistency and win it. I mean, it did. Be able to go back to back with win, and then, You know, that's the name of the game. I mean, you play the game to win. And, you know, but we can't always control, you know, who wins the football game, but we can control how we play on each individual play. We can control the effort we play with. We control the discipline we play with. You know, those are the things you can control. Playing one play at a time, you know, have a bad play. You know, to put that behind you and move on and play the next play. "

8. On the versatility and the potency of the offense...

"Yeah, you know, I think we ended up having 10 total offensive drives this week. A couple of them were, you know, quick strikes. So, you know, the time of possession ended up being pretty balanced in the football game. But that's what we have to do offensively. You know, we have to be able to utilize those guys and create those explosives because, you know, it changes the game fast."

9. On what he learned about his team tonight...

"Yeah, I think, you know, the culmination of other things I've said. We won the football game, right? We played really good at times. We have things we've got to clean up from the game. But when it's all said and done, we came off the field with a win, and that's what's important. You know, we were able to get some new guys in the game and play them, which was good, get those guys experience. I mean, you know, Weston went down for part of a series and, you know, Harrison jumps in there and, you know, get true freshmen jumping in at center and, you know, throws a strike right back there and was able to go out and play. So continuing to build the depth at all those positions. So when something happens, you know, there's not a falloff."

10. On the momentum created by winning two consecutive wins...

Oh, gosh, no. Not at all. I mean, you know, we'll, you know, there's not a coach on the staff that won't, you know, get home and start watching that film or actually be in their office here pretty soon watching the film and, you know, getting those corrections made because we know, every day, I mean, Sunrises comes up next day regardless and you know sunrise comes up when you have good things and when you have bad things Right it's not always just the bad things you got to be able to you know turn the page You got to be able to move on we got to be able to come out ready to go tomorrow ready to practice tomorrow Like I said enjoy it."

11. On the playcalling by Tyler Santucci...

"I think it's been really good. You know, look, as coaches, you can be, you know, I think all of us strive to be perfect and put them into a perfect call, right? And that doesn't always happen, right? But everyone has an assignment to do within the call and be able to play. And some calls, you know, are really good for that situation and some aren't and you know we scout our we correct ourselves just as much as we correct players all right that's that's that's what you have to do when you're when you're a coach you're in a position of leadership you have to be able to self -assess and that's the beauty of what I believe our staff does is you know we'll come in tomorrow and we'll talk about it we'll sit down and we'll do that we'll self -assess and see where we can be better see what was good and then see how we have to attack the opponent next week."

12. On what his biggest points of emphasis will be heading into Syracuse...

"I don't know. I ain't watch the tape yet. Right now I can just say a bunch of things but those are all it's just it's just words if I say it right now we'll offense defense and special teams we go through a we have a process we go through after every game win lose or draw and we go through it and we hit on what we have to do tomorrow we'll have correction periods and and start correct mistakes."

13. On the crowd and the atmosphere...

"Yeah, that's, you know, it's the energy that helps the team sustain. You know, being at home, that's why it's a home field advantage. I thought they were loud. I thought they were into the game. There was one time we had to make sure that when our offense was out there, let's settle down a little bit, guys. When we were backed up on the that time but no that that's that's what's awesome about it is seeing the fans seeing the students and I thought the student section was unbelievable be able to have those people come and really you know and be able to cheer those guys on."