Everything That Quarterback Haynes King Had to Say Ahead of Week Zero Matchup Against Florida State

King spoke with the media ahead of Georgia Tech's matchup with Florida State on Saturday

Nov 4, 2023; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) runs with the ball past Virginia Cavaliers defensive tackle Jason Hammond (91) during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports / Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech is going to be leaving for Ireland today for the week zero matchup against the Florida State Seminoles, but the Yellow Jackets were on the practice field this morning ahead of their departure. After practice, quarterback Haynes King had a chance to speak with the media, and here is everything that he had to say:

1. On how confident and comfortable he is going into his second year in the offense...

"Oh, it's very comfortable. You know, everybody's playing fast. you know a lot of us we've never been out of the country including me so it's going to be a a different atmosphere, different exposure but exciting at the same time with that being said like it's just don't need to add extra pressure or anything because at the end of the day it's a full quarter game 100 yard field 11 11 -11, and just simple as that. Some people like to, you know, complicate it when you really don't."

2. On the running back depth...

"Oh, it's going great right now. And the way they developed and how fast they developed and the exposure they had going against the defense that we have every day, it just helps them improve even more."

3. On the amount of talent they have at the skill positions...

"It just makes you a better quarterback you know uh the better the talent the that these guys have the speed the athleticism the way they track the ball and the way they just get the game of football and fill space it just makes your job a whole lot easier. You can just trust them. You know they're going to be at the right spot, and you're just letting things fly instead of thinking, hesitating, like, I hope he's going to be here. It's just, it makes the job a lot easier."

4. On what he has seen from the defense in practice...

"Yeah. Just the way they fly to the ball. The energy that they play and bring every day and they're challenging us each and every day, you know, iron sharp and iron. And it's made us a better football team, not just offensively, but as a whole team, the way they bring it every day."

5. On how the team is preparing the different challenges like long travel for the game...

"I mean, at the end of the day, you've got to adapt, overcome. You know, I've never been over there. I don't, you can only read what the weather's like, the time change, like you said. The only way you can do is just adapt and overcome and just fight through adversity, you know, find a way. You don't have to press or anything, but just find a way. And I'm sure that Coach Key has the template and and schedule for us to have the best chance at doing that."

6. On the addition of Keylan Rutledge to the offensive line...

"His addition is great, you know, especially in when we lost, we lost Skag's last year. The addition to him, it definitely improved our offensive line. And, you know, he has a little grit to him, and that's what you want up front. And just adding him, it just, he kind of added a little bit of spark with him, too. And everybody's kind of starting to get a little gritty and that stuff about him now. So fun to to be able to see him in the way he uh you know it just kind of affected everybody they follow his way."

7. On how prepared he feels the team is for this game...

"I feel like we're very prepared, just as a team in general."

8. On how the team found its identity and the trajectory of the program...

"We are a program that is going to be reckoned with and it started from the top down with what Coach Key has built with not only who he is recruiting, but who he is hiring you know and uh he stays true to that and he cares about the culture, the culture of the team, the culture of the locker room, coaching the culture of the coaching staff uh and it is just that's just i felt like that's the way to build a program and we're on the right track right now and we're just ready to go show it."