Georgia Tech Football: Everything From Brent Key After Georgia Tech's 41-34 win Against North Carolina

Brent Key Spoke to the media after the Yellow Jackets win over the Tar Heels

Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the sideline against Georgia State Panthers in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It was a roller coaster of a win for Georgia Tech in Chapel Hill today.

After North Carolina tied the game late in the 4th quarter, running back Jamal Haynes took a carry 68 yards for a touchdown with just 16 seconds left and helping secure a crazy win for the Yellow Jackets. After the game, head coach Brent Key spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say:

"Good win.

I mean, you know, you, I'm just, I'm proud of, I'm proud of the team for, for playing for 60 minutes. We pride ourselves when playing for 60 minutes. We played for 60 and we got the ball back with less than a minute there at the end after they kicked the field goal and we were able to, we were trying to push it out there. We had the two time outs trying to see if we could push it out there with him playing off coverage and get to get favorable field positions able to get into field goal range. And I mean, he popped through there made a cut made a cut. Oh boy, he's gone. He's gone and ended up scoring. So, you know, Good job. Good win. We'll enjoy it. But at the same time, there's a lot of things we've got to clean up in the game. It really is. We gave up a missed field goal and a punt return allowed for a touchdown. We had numerous return yardage In there, we got to clean up the coverage teams, make sure we check our personnel and our schematically that we're doing the right things. And we're playing with the right type of sense of urgency that we need to. But I thought we were able to, when Zach came in, he was able to ask him in fourth quarter to do some things. So it was a field position game. David had some good punts. But at the same time, we gave up some big returns. So it was ebbs and flows of the game. It's an in -conference road game, their record at this point is not really indicative to the talent on their team, but we came up here to play 60 minutes and we played 60, and I'm really happy for these guys, and happy for the team, happy for the win."

1. On Haynes King's injury status...

""No, we will know something soon. He's in there enjoying the victory."

2. On the final drive...

"Yeah, that's what I was just saying. I mean, you're in that position, obviously, you already have overtime, right? You, you don't want to give the ball back to them. So we want to push it out, see if we can get field positions. We had two timeouts. So we had the ability to be able to run the ball, get back on the ball, run it again, hit a timeout, possibly get us closer now for a more higher percentage throw to get it to field goal range. Use the last timeout for three. "

3. On the Jamal Haynes TD run...

"Yeah, I mean, that's really everybody gotta trust everybody to make the right reads and it starts with your alignment and getting the call in. Limits, assignments, keys, progressions, reads, all those things. So, trust all those guys, put them in position, be out there."

4. On Zach Pyron...

"Yeah, you know, I've said that since the beginning, Zach, proud of Zach, how he's improved his football player, improved as a quarterback. but he loves playing, loves playing football. Loves playing the game and, you know, get to this point in the season where you gotta make sure you have the best people on the field and starting to work in on some special teams as well. Uh, have a role for them there as well. Uh, to continue the season."

5. On what he said after the touchdown run...

"I was trying to make sure everybody stayed off the field. We got no penalty. Uh, You didn't want to give them another big chunk of free yardage. Just, I'll keep that with me and Jamal."

6. On the goal line stops from the defense...

"Yeah, you know, you're sitting there, and I think you got to like that five minute, you know, four minute mark there at the game. And you You know, you're playing the odds now in the game with the time of when to take a time out, not take a time out, when you get a stop. And, you know, but also at the same time, you want to put the pressure on them to have to make decisions. So, you know, we got down there. We almost had a four down stop there. So, you know, we held them to field goal. The situational ball, they played decent in there today. And look, guys, I hadn't had a chance to look at all the stats and whatnot. And we'll look at the film. But I mean, looking right here at third downs, they were 4-14 on thirds. So some of those came on short yaradage."

7. On the appeared busted play that resulted in a Luke Harping catch and run and if it was designed...

"I agree with you. I agree with you. - Yeah, it was funky, all right."

8. On if this is a game this team wins in the past...

"Hypothetical saying that there, I'm glad we won it. I'm glad we showed the resiliency and we talked about before the game that the biggest challenge was ourself. Playing on the road, coming consistent, being consistent in what we do. Taking those close games and winning close games. And we tried our best to fight ourselves today. And it took some good punches at ourself. But the better half of us ended up winning in the end."

9. On the offensive gameplan coming in...

"That's what's crazy. I mean, we talk all the time about taking what they give us. We came into the game not necessarily with this plan, right? And it's about adjustments. It's about that first quarter seeing what they're doing. And we took some shots down the field. They were playing off, had us playing, trying to prepare for everything in front of them at times. And then when you look at that, you see teams are playing quarters coverage. And trying to play the best of both worlds. In the past, these guys have been coming downhill. I mean, you know, the ball is even token to the running back. Those safeties are like a gun coming down today. And that running back had the ball in his hand one or two steps. And they're still sitting there waiting to make sure. So that kind of told us right there, we knew what the plan was. We knew they wanted to keep it in the front of them. So we got to be able to take what they give us and alter and that's where the run game came from."

10. On the run defense against Omarion Hampton...

"Yeah, you know, the one right, he's right before half. Yeah, before half. Yeah, yeah, you've got the long run, looking at now 71 yards. And he's a big strong kid. He's a good football player, really good running back. You know, but defense did you know, I thought the D line, you know, played well as the run. Kyle, Kyle played extremely hard. But we did, for the most part, but those one runs, I mean, those, those can to be difference makers and you get in conference games and one score games, it's exactly what it ended up being. It's one score and those one big plays can be the difference for sure."

11. On the three sacks and two takeaways...

"Yeah, that's what you hope. I mean, when you emphasize things like that, that they start show up in games. And whether you emphasize them or you don't emphasize them, they don't show up. I mean, it's the same thing. So we've really been emphasizing getting the ball, Emphasizing the pass rush, I think we got a little greedy in the pass rush there at the end and left open big scenes for a quarterback run. Look, I'd rather not have a sack and be able to have it bottled up and move on to the next down than a quarterback scramble and be able to gain first downs in this critical situation."