Everything From Brent Key Ahead of Matchup vs Duke

Brent Key spoke to the media today ahead of Georgia Tech's game vs Duke

Sep 21, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key looks on during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated Georgia Tech 31-19. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

For the first time since the loss to Louisville, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key spoke with the media. The Yellow Jackets were back at practice today and they are gearing up for a primetime matchup vs undefeated Duke on Saturday night. Here is everything that Key had to say today.

Opening Statement...

Now, uh, coming off a bye week, uh, really couldn't have come at a better time for us. We were able to, uh, able to heal up, uh, get our energy back, uh, you know, get, you know, get a, call it a pep in your step. Um, you know, a lot of mental reps, uh, in practice, we practiced three days last week Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Two of those days were big focus on ourselves, corrections, adjustments, personnel, situational football different things a lot of mental reps with it a lot of walk -through reps really, trying to get these guys back fresh, practiced in pads on Thursday the start of our preparation for Duke And then, obviously, the weather hit this weekend and, you know, I mean, thoughts go out to everybody around the country that was affected in regards to the storms that came through, the floods, the rains, the winds, all those things. I mean, I know myself, we were locked up for two days about 12 feet of water floating down Peachtree Battle. So, it was, you know, seeing people rescued out of boats across the street from It was pretty eye-opening, so we just, you know, a lot of people were affected across the state of Georgia, but also the southeast and throughout the country. So, you know, but, you know, getting preparation for Duke, you know, home game, come back home, eight o 'clock game, and be in front of our fans, our students. Our students have been such a huge impact in the games, you know, our home games, It's been a huge impact in the outcome of those games. And it's exciting to get back in front of those supposed people, see the fan support, see the student body all come out. And again, just asking everyone on campus to show up and be loud, be as loud as you can. And our players really, really appreciate it. And I appreciate it. Looking forward to seeing everybody on Saturday night. So a lot of work we've gotten done. A lot of things we've gotten worked on, but I thought more than anything when we came out on Sunday night to practice, we looked fast again. And that's, that's what we're looking for. And you know, it was a grind of a start of the season And that's what, that's what the name of the game is, though. So now, now we're. into another part of it. But it was good to see us out looking fast, good energy, good communication, tweaks and adjustments we made within, within the schemes on all."

1. On the left tackle position...

"Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of tweaks we've made you know on the whole team like I said we'll, look at everything we're putting the best guys out there, the best guys that can help us win, creating versatility in the positions, and increasing the depth by developing young guys. So we'll continue to do that. And when guys are ready to go, they're ready to go. But look, no one goes out in the field and tries not to play well. I mean, no coach goes out and tries not to coach well in the game. Sometimes they line up and the other guy gets the best of them. And that comes on us as coaches to get it corrected, get them improved. But wanting just the left side, across the board, everyone collectively in the game had things they did well and things they didn't do well. So we had to make improvements in all those areas."

2. On what has gone wrong with the offensive line...

"There's everything. I think I said it after the game. It's been about two months ago since that last game, but I can't really remember. What I said after the game was dead on. There's not one in particular thing, there's not one you know there's, there's extra guys we've got to account for in the box that's that's schematic. All right there's movement where we got to you know account for and be able to handle movement up front loaded boxes so it's all encompassing and everything and the evaluations were deep they were. You know look I walk into the staff the staff room right after the last game before we hit the start of the bye-week, and I challenge every coach, everyone self-assess. We do self-scout, but the biggest self-scout to do is to be able to self -assess and look yourself in the mirror and say, hey, this isn't working as good as I wanted it to, this isn't working as good as it used to work, and what adjustments have to be made to correct it."

3. On the issues the field goal kicking team has had this season...

"I'm not gonna say one person or one thing or one it's everybody and ultimately I'm responsible for it so it'll be fixed."

4. On his evaluation's of the team's progress...

"Yeah, you know About four or five six games in season you really do know your team, you know what they're about, you know, it's it's all kind of hypothetical going in before the season starts, but I do feel like I know the team, know what they are good at, know what they are deficient at and what we have to improve on. The assessment at this point, I will tell you the same thing that I told the team, we are playing hard, this team plays hard. Are there instances where we want to be better? Yes, there always will be, but the team plays hard. Playing hard and preparing the right way, it gives you a chance to have success on Saturday. It guarantees nothing. There's no guarantees just by coming in and practicing hard, practicing, preparing the right way, playing hard, and playing hard to just get you there. So Now you don't play hard, you don't play smart, then you've got zero chance. So the decision making is what we've got to improve on, okay? That's the thing where you play hard, you're elevating the way you play. Like I said, everyone wants to win, they want to do everything to win. Well then, they're still doing your job, not trying to do more than your job, being in the right position and those things where you know is the stakes get higher the emotions and games get higher the intensity gets higher you know conference games versus undefeated teams or you know ranked teams really everyone have left on the schedule you know you've got to be able to keep those emotions in check while the intensity elevates right so playing hard but level -headed decisions. It's crazy. There's not a player or coach in America that's ever after a game you're like what did I do? Or what did he do? Or what just went on there? You know we've practiced that a hundred times and never it never happened like that. Well as goes games are different and that's why I say all the time you want to elevate the practices to match what the games are and that's been the big intentional thing that we've done the last two weeks is really put the focus and intent on every single play that it is the most important play, elevating that mental intensity, that mental strain all right along with the physical strain on you to try to help the decision -making that."

5. On Aidan Birr and the kicking game...

"Yeah, it's not going in. I mean, look at the ones he's missed. Where are they at? Right hash? 33 yard yard line? Yeah, let's don't have a fourth down on that spot anymore. That helps all of them. Yeah, I'm being real, it's 3rd and 14 in the game last two weeks or a week and a half or whatever it is. It's 3rd and 14, it's balls on the right hash, on the 33 yard line. I'm like going through my head now, I'm like okay, do we go 4th on if we don't get it, do we go 4th on 4th, do we try this, do we try this, it's 33 yard line, right hash. I'll look over at Chris Weinke and he goes, "If we don't get it, it's 4th and 14th." I said, "Yeah, Chris, it's right hash 33 yards." And he went, "Oh boy." But that's what it is, and you can't hide from it. You can't act like it doesn't exist. You can't put your head in sand with it. We've got to do a better job of getting the ball down there, making some higher percentage kicks. But also, he's been working his tail off on those kicks. I'll tell you, and the one that was blocked, he drilled it now. And he missed the first one then came to me after. He was like, I ain't missing two, I'm not missing two. And he stroked that thing now. And but some other things didn't take place. And like I said, it's everybody involved in it."

6. On which younger guys could get more playing time...

"I'm sure there is there always will be you know everyone's got a different timetable and how they develop and when they're ready to"

7. On Duke's defense and Manny Diaz...

"They are either first or second. I think maybe second right now in the country in TFLs and Havoc plays in stuffed runs, which are 0 to minus 1, minus 2 yard runs. 42 % stuffed runs right now, it's a credit to the way they play, the physicality they play with, the speed they play with. But when you look at who's creating the negatives, it's not just D-Linemen, it's not just D-Lineman. There's a lot of DBs. There's a lot of safety pressure, nickel pressure inside /outside. That's what Manny is, that's who he's been. They're able their blitzes with with because that's who they are to different motions and different things you know, he's a good football coach and you know he's a good defensive football coach going against him a bunch in my in my career I respect him as it's not just a coach but as a person you know I think he's a he's a good man and he's a heck of a football coach so excited to have him here and play here at Bobby Dodd."

8. On what stands out schematically about Duke's defense...

Yeah, well, you know, first off, there's a lot of players back. They had a good foundation. I'm not saying this cause Tooch and Jess and those guys are here, but those guys play hard. They do, they play hard. You know, they've got good players. They're strong. The strength coach There does a really good job with him. I'm not mistaken, he was there with them previously. So he does a good job with those guys. But they're disruptive in how they get up the field. The defensive line, they are a penetrating group. If they're not zone blitzing or fire blitzing, and they're going step slanting, gaps over, They're getting off the ball. They're getting up the field, causing disruption. So I think anytime you take over a group and you've got some experience and they're used to how you're supposed to play and play hard, it's an easy turnaround because it's just a different, they might call it apples, they call it oranges, but they're still playing hard. And they're really good against the pass. They got experience, they've got an experienced secondary. Added a couple of new guys in here and there that have really helped bolster the depth. They play a lot of guys. And D -Line do a nice job of playing within the scheme and creating havoc and letting those other guys-- or creating space really for those other guys to make the plays. Then when you go back to decision -making."

9. On Haynes King's response to making mistakes...

"Look, it's not to say the game is a game of inches, but three inches away from that ball, it was Malik. There's nobody covering him. That sucker he might go 94 yards and now it's a magician trick that he pulls and you know it's part of the play. Guy falls and you know the safety falls off of the other receiver, comes in, tips the ball. Again that's what about the intensity of the practices and the speed of practices and you know getting your scouts to be able to play at that speed. But he's trying to win the game as bad as anybody, right? He puts more on himself than anyone. He's very critical of himself. He's like a coach on the field. He could play a good football game. Look, everyone makes poor decisions at times. But I look at it really, you can go back four plays. You can go back to the punt return Toes on the 10. Rodney, All right catches the ball. He kind of his toes on the 10. He'strailing back a little bit he said well also have a guy that when guy had to take himself out of the game Previous play like I'm gonna get to be I mean if you look at the the punt return you, one guy his man on the block and now that thing squirts 3o 40 yards, who knows right so it's a combination of events that happen to put you in that position. And now you're trying to get some yardage to get it more room to punt. And you have a corner of the outlet there, you spit it out there, the kid made a really good play on it. So look, do we coach those things up? Yeah, we coach those things. But I've been very pleased with Haynes to this point in the season. I'm glad he is our quarterback."

10. On if they should use Haynes in the run game more...

"I mean, do you think we're just sitting there until late at night and come up with things that don't work? I mean, come on now. You know, you open up the first game, all right? It's always unknowns in the first game of the season. All right, the second opponent, it was their first game when they said unknowns. Then for three straight weeks, we played teams that played different defenses that They did not play previously to them. Okay, so that's assessments we make as coaches, right? Yeah from Syracuse VMI and Louisville, I mean they're playing defensive fronts that fronts and coverages and blitz that they had not played up until then so as coaches was okay This is obviously the MO on us right now Offensively people are doing things and that aren't planned or aren't really their base I guess you'd say so how do we have to practice ourselves now to be able to anticipate there's gonna be look there's always things in a game plan that are different but have completely different defenses that one's a new one for me okay and so we've got we had to make some adjustments and things we do right to be prepared for that now so yeah we but yeah, we try to make all of them work."

11. On the pass rush...

"Without stunts? We stunt about 65 % of the plays. So actually, it might be a little bit more after that. We had better pressure on the quarterback against Louisville than we had all season. That was as good as I thought the defensive front and the in linebackers had played all year. We got to continue elevating ourselves in that. Are we coming home and getting sacks? No. look, I wish I had a magic shaker bottle and could get it done too. But I mean, you can run all stunts and blitzes and things you want, but you've got to be sound of what you do. On the back end, you can't just unload and bring everybody, have guys run them free. So there's balance when it goes there. The thing I've been really focused on with the team, and this goes for us all positions, are second efforts. There comes a point in every football play, especially at the line of scrimmage, where the ball snap, there's a start. There's a starting point. Somewhere in that play, every time, there's a point where you get stopped. Whether you're blocking somebody at the front on the O-line, whether you're pass rushing as a defensive lineman, there comes a point where it stops. So there's a start, there's a stop. Well, now you have to have a restart second effort. And that's what we've really been focusing on is that second effort now, right, to the strain in the second effort to continue to win a one -on -one pass rush or to finish a one -on -one run block, one of those things. The second effort, so we've been focusing, I mean, there's nothing wrong schematically. Believe me, I'm as critical of that as anybody when it comes to things we're doing. Are there the tweaks and adjustments we've made? Yeah, you're exactly right. I mean we got two sacks in four games. I mean you're not gonna sit there and just keep doing the same thing. So yeah, that's what you use the bye -week for. Some different things, but I'm not gonna say I'm gonna go through the game plan either. I'm just gonna add to what we're doing."