Everything From Brent Key's Media Availability Ahead of Week Zero Matchup With Florida State

Brent Key spoke with the media today ahead of the Yellow Jackets matchup with Florida State on Saturday

Nov 18, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the sideline against the Syracuse Orange in the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Game week rolled on today at Georgia Tech ahead of their long trip to Ireland to face Florida State. After practice, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say.

Opening Statement...

"Game week is here. We are super excited, the team is excited, we have put a lot of work in since January and to go and play an opponent like Florida State. Mike does a great job with that team. They're defending conference champions. 12 straight ACC wins, they're 23 and 4 over the last two seasons, fourth best record in the country. So it's a great opportunity for us. Importantly, it's a great opportunity for all Georgia Tech, our alumni, our fans, hearing all the people that have said they're going over. It's really exciting. So I do want to say just what a tremendous job. Our administration has done, you know, put this thing together for the last two years. And then our ops team, and I do want to single out Josh Thompson and the job that Josh has done our DFO and really preparing really for about a year and a half now this trip and all he's done and his staff that works with him in football, it's really allowed us as coaches and players not to have to worry about anything. And this is really no different than any normal first game of the season for us because of the work he's been able to do.

And he has done really to make this as smooth as possible for everybody. So thanks to all those guys and thanks to Josh for the work he does. You know, but we're ready to go. We've got one more day of practice tomorrow. We'll head over tomorrow night. then we'll land Thursday morning, be business as usual on Thursday and the same on Friday and we will get ready to play on Saturday. I was told the depth chart was going to be released later today, one thing that you will see on there is that tight end Brett Seither is not on there, he suffered an ACL tear two weeks ago so he will have surgery soon. But, you know, just really thinking about him and have been and, you know, spent a lot of time with him as he's going through that and some other things. But he won't be on there, but it also gives an opportunity now for Avery Boyd, "It also gives an opportunity now for Avery Boyd, who was limited a little bit early in camp with, you know, some tendonitis or whatnot, but it's been full go, really him and Jackson Hawes to get the start at tight end. So excited for Avery, a guy that's really bulked up and, you know, embrace the transition to the tight -in position in 240, 245 now and doing everything in really, really consistent at that position. So excited to have him back as upset as we are about what happened to Brett, so you know it is exciting to have Avery back at the same time So, you know, really that's the only thing on the depth chart that should be anything different than what we've been rolling with. So now we've got a full healthy squad, ready to go play on Saturday afternoon."

1. On the tight end position with Brett out...

"Yeah, you know, Avery made the transition, you know, through spring to the tight end spot. He's really done a really nice job, though. The, the thing I've been, and this is going to be shocking to everybody, but I'm really been pleased with his blocking. And what he's been able to do, not only, you know, as a guy that as a point of attack on the line of scrimmage, on the in -line guy. He's a big, strong guy, does a good job. But also, it's a testament to the amount of depth we've been able to bring in over the last year, really 10 months, I guess you'd say, and the coaches developing those guys. Just because you bring people in, that mean, they're going to be ready to play in Week one. So the guys that we brought in, Ryland, Jackson Hawes, Ryland, and then the freshman, Luke. We talked about Luke before, David Prince will be a really good football player. So we've got depth in that position. So it helps, because it's a game of football. Things are going to happen. Injuries you're going to occur. And the more depth you have, and the more quality depth you have that are coached up to be able to play, you know, build the least amount of really ripple effect that you have."

2. On the running back depth...

"I mean, Jamal's is starting running back. That's not changing. Jamal Haynes is the starting running back, you know, then the other guys that have all been in the mix are still in the mix. And I think the depth chart will tell you exactly how it's going to be when once it's released. But all those guys have gotten work, they've also gotten a lot of their, be a huge part of special teams. So, you know, we're getting the flow of the game. I mean, you need a bunch of those guys as the season goes. It's one position that, you know, You've got to have four or five guys ready to play any given game."

3. On how challenging it will be to face a Florida State team in week zero that has so many new starters on offense...

"It's not really from that standpoint. Mike's called offensive plays for a long time. He's, you know, his offense is his offense in regards to what they do. It's different week to week on how they, what personnel groups, what packages, what shifts, motions, different things they use within it. So those things haven't changed. And there's film for many, many years, and you see it's the same type of thing. He believes running football, play action, you know, spreading the field, not only vertically but horizontally, working sideline to side. Had a good season last year, so how he tailor makes it to the quarterback will be, you know, once we come out the gate, we'll really see. But the important thing in your first game is everybody talks about the opponent, the opponent of the opponent. The unknowns are what you can't predict. So it's really about your team, how sound you are with your base, offense, defense, and kicking game, and and how quickly your coaches can make adjustments within the game. Look, if you're waiting until halftime to make adjustments, I mean, the game's over. I mean, you've got to make adjustments fast, so then you have the ability to play for the full four quarters. I mean, I don't know, a believer in, you know, huddling up at halftime and changing things. You're just saying, what, for the last 25 minutes, you've just been getting, you know what I'm saying. I won't go there. So, but no, and then you watch film with individual players from different schools, you know, to see."

4. On how the team has grown from the start of camp...

"Yeah, good question. I think they did a good job of building their individual selves from January all the way through the summer, right? And then August is when you come together as a football team. And you can't predict how that's going to be. You hope the chemistry becomes good, but It's the shared adversity that they go through throughout camp, throughout their day -to -day lives that allows guys to bond together in the locker room. In order for all three groups, offense, defense and kicking game, to have the bonds that they do in the locker room, to be able to have relationships, right, it's a testament to the leadership on the team. It's a testament to the people we have in the organization that do a lot with our players, our player development groups with AP and Don, what they do with those guys, what they have done over the summer. We have a ten week class that is taught in the summer about champions mindset, leadership, and it really breaks them down individually and exposes those things and allows them to really find out truly who the other guys are. Then you put the pads on and you go through and you battle each day and it only brings those guys closer. So you can't predict how it's going to be, but I've been pleased with how this team has come together really as one over the previous, you know, really eight months. And now, like you said, it's game week. You know, things change a little bit in terms of, you know, going against scouts. But that's the other thing. I mean, we get with the depth on the team, we've been able to have really good scout practices. Probably some of the best I've been around in terms of those guys giving really good effort and giving really good looks. They're not just sitting there as a, you know, tackling dummy They're giving good looks and doing things well so you know all that's to be able to roll it out there on Saturday and go play a game."

5. On how to handle the difficulties that come with traveling a long distance for a game...

"It's no different than going East Coast, West Coast. I've said it a couple of times this week. When did that new video game come out? If you tell me these kids have been going to bed at 9 o 'clock every night and waking up on time at 6 .30. They've been up playing the game until 2 and 3 in the morning. And then they come out and they practice all day long. They're 18, 20, 22 years old, man. We make, as adults, we make way more of that than it really is. These guys go out, they play the game all night long, and then they come practice all day, and they do it over again. So I'm probably thinking, like, this might actually be on their schedule. We might be interrupting it by trying to, like, do something different. So they'll adjust it on."

6. On David Shanahan being the face of the program leading up to the game in Ireland...

"I don't care what position you are on the team, you play for as long as he has in college football and you are a vet and you have seen a lot of things and the growth he has had from the time that he got here to now from just understanding football, understanding there's situations within the game that you have to work towards. And, you know, punts just not to kick it as far as you can, especially when you're on the 40 -yard line or 43 -yard line. You don't just boom it. So he's grown, he's exceeding his growth. You know, in fact, he's, you know, on the Dean's List graduate of Georgia Tech, you know, the relationships he has with the guys and things. I think he's what, been one or two -times. Grand marshal of the parade in town, the Saint Patty's Day parades. Excited that David has a chance to go and play in front of his family I think that's what's important. Not everyone gets that in college, but we go somewhere and be able to know guys are far away from home. You always hope that at least once a year, once every the year that they have a chance to be close to where their families are and see him be able to do that. And Sylvain too. I mean, this is the closest Sylvain's ever been to play by his family. So I think it's a good opportunity for both of them."

7. On being the spotlight game of the week...

"It's not just another game, we are going to another country to expose our game of football and be ambassadors to the game of football in another country. What an unbelievable opportunity that these kids and these coaches have and really to showcase our sport. And when you go up there, we went over there earlier in the year to do some advance work. And the unknown still about American football, it's really kind of mind -blowing when you see it because it's every day to us. And to get over there and see the passion people have for it and how much they enjoy the game, how much they're continuing to learn about the game. We played over there 10 years ago when I was at UCF and just seeing the evolution in the last 10 years of that sport over there. So it's a really cool opportunity to be on that stage to be the first game of the year to play the opponent like we have a chance to play in Florida State. So it's fun. A lot of these guys, and there's There's guys that probably haven't been on flights, most less been out of the country. Matter of fact, I don't think Buster's been out of the country. He just told me that. So he don't like flying either."