Everything From Brent Key After Loss to Clemson

Georgia Tech dropped to 5-5 after losing on the road to Clemson
Everything From Brent Key After Loss to Clemson
Everything From Brent Key After Loss to Clemson /

It was a tough day for Georgia Tech on the road today. 

After going up 7-0 against the Clemson Tigers, the Yellow Jackets gave up 42 unanswered points and the offense was lifeless until it was too late. With the loss, Georgia Tech now drops to 5-5 and needs a victory in their final two games to get to a bowl game. 

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

Opening Statement

"Credit to Clemson and the way they played. They really beat us up in several phases of the game and they were able to control the line of scrimmage for the majority of the football game and they made plays. We have to be able to make those plays and credit to them for what they were able to do and there are things that we have to continue to work on and things we have to get better at. 

In the first half, it was almost 100 yards they had on 3rd and 4th downs alone. Offensively, not being able to get in rhythm and not able to get in a rhythm with the explosives, we had some missed opportunities with explosives early on in the game and then the running game was really hit or miss early on and then we got down a couple of scores and they lined up and played tight man-to-man coverage and forced us into some poor throws. 

On the other side of the ball, they were able to control the line of scrimmage run the ball and get it to fourth and shorts and then get a first down. Overall, we lined up and got our butts kicked out there today and we have things we have to continue to improve and push through these things and correct these things and get ready for a game next Saturday. It was disappointing to come out here today with this team and these guys in the locker room and to have the game go the way it did."

1. On the dropped passes being momentum killers...

"Yeah they were. We had some missed opportunities with explosives and those ones in the first half could have led to some explosive plays there and generated some momentum and able to play the ball game a different way."

2. On if Clemson's defense threw anything at them they were not expecting...

"Yeah, it was what we expected to see on tape. We thought they would play more of a bear front in man-to-man coverage with it and covering everyone up in the front. They were able to break you down man-to-man and five-on-five in protection a lot of those times and play tight man-to-man coverage and when you get in those situations and those types of games you gotta win in the man-to-man and win in those protections long enough for us to be able to push the ball down the field."

3. On what he thought of this Clemson team compared to those of the past...

"I have played these guys eight or nine years in a row and they have a very good defense, their front-seven is a really good defensive front and with their running backs today, they were able to really control the entire game with the way they were able to move the ball offensively."

4. On if stopping some of those early fourth downs would have changed the momentum...

"Yeah. They give offenses four downs and they were able to use four of those in the first half four or five times and we were not able to make a stop."

5. On if there is any sort of silver lining in a loss like this...

"No. There is not. Losses eat you up and it is one of those things... you win and you start to get accustomed to winning and you start to understand how to win and the same thing goes for losing, there are things we have to take from this game and get better at, things we have to take and see where we are better now vs competition, yeah we do in a lot of ways. But there is no silver linings in games you lose."

6. On how disappointed he is in this performance...

"Very. Lose by one, lose by thirty, a loss is a loss. I am disappointed and I hate losing. I hate losing. We are going to do everything in our power to get back on the other side of the column next week."

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Published
Jackson Caudell
JACKSON CAUDELL

Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell