Georgia Tech Football: Everything From Brent Key After Win Over No. 4 Miami

Here is everything from Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key after today's win over Miami

Nov 9, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key hugs offensive lineman Weston Franklin (72) after a victory over the Miami Hurricanes at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It was an incredible day at Bobby Dodd Stadium today, as Georgia Tech pulled a massive upset over No. 4 Miami today. It clinched bowl eligibility for the second straight season for the Yellow Jackets and gave them their first top five win since 2009.

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

Opening Statement...

"Just a good football game. You believe in running the ball and stopping the run, time of possession, those types of things. It still works. First off, I just wanted to say that credit to this coaching staff. We talk about the players all the time and rightfully so, credit to this coaching staff and the game plans they put together. Complimentary football, we knew what we had to play, we knew we had to do to win, all right? I stood in front of the team on Sunday night after practice. You know, when I took a knee in front of them, I mean, I talked about the capacity to, you know, what is your max capacity, you know, can you increase your capacity week to week? We make a 10 % increase in our capacity of doing over the week and the way we, there was a look in their eye, which is why behind the doors we talked about a quiet confidence all week. And if we just went out there and did our job and we played four individual quarters, right? Played one play at a time within those quarters, came back into halftime, really reset it like it was a new football game. And We knew we had to play 60 minutes. And we were able to do that. Good staff put together-- or a good plan put together by staff. Kids played their absolute tails off. Again, we hit with some adversity, with some injuries. And it's like I've said before, you get hit with injuries and adversity like that. No one really cares. They really don't. And when that happens, The standard of how you play and the standard to win doesn't change. I think they're understanding that now. They played that way, three times the defense, big fourth downstops. Held them to one score in the red area just, I think we were 4 -4. Probably says 4 -5, it was 4 -4 with the knee, right? So really 4 -4 in the red area, situational football we did a really good job Uh, in the game. Uh, guys play. They play. They didn't bat an eye. They didn't blink. They didn't flinch. Uh, game plan was executed. They believed in the plan and, uh, they were able to execute it."

1. On when they knew they had to build this kind of game plan around Haynes King...

"Look, we were hopeful that Haynes will be able to play in the game, but we truly didn't know about him. I mean, we practiced yesterday. And I mean, we're still waiting to see kind of where he was pregame warm -ups and what he'd be able to do. We knew we were going to have to piece the game together. It's something we've done before. And those guys, you saw early in the game, there was a little bit of just the flow of the guys in and out and getting that going. But they were able to get in there and get the flow You know unselfish play by guys on the offensive side when you go into a game like that and that's the game plan you have to play to win and you know they were able to, receivers blocking on the perimeter you know getting touches you know run the ball you know then when you know time came for a couple of big third down catches we're able to convert them and get those so."

2. On the play of the defensive line...

"Yeah, they were able to get pressure on him (Cam Ward). They were able to affect him. Still, he's a tough guy to bring down. He's one of the most talented players in the country. Got good weapons on the outside for him. You know, But they were able to get back there and affect them and have different paths, especially on the third downs. I thought, too, that it did a really good job of mixing up some of the zones and man's and some of the blitzes and the drops. And it was a good plan, but it was executed. That's what was important."

3. On the defense being able to close games...

"That's what you want to do. I mean, regardless of offense, defense, kicking games on the field, you want to be able to finish the game out. Which we've been able to get another first down on the previous drive. But like I said, you know, defense didn't bat an eye. They jumped the opportunity to go out there and be able to win the football game for us.."

4. On Haynes King and what he was able to do today...

"We don't have enough time left in the day. We really don't. Haynes King is special in a lot of ways."

5. On Jamal Haynes setting the tone with his big runs early in the game...

"Yeah, anytime you break off of 60 yards, 65 yard runs, it's big. I think as much as anything guys, it was doing what we knew we could do. And we had a plan, we were able to go out and execute the plan. We were confident in the plan. Early on it showed that and many times that happens early on. It gives confidence to the guys, a lot of confidence to the guys"

6. On what makes Haynes King so special...

"Watch the game. I mean, I'm not gonna sit here and get emotional now. That kid, we didn't know if he's gonna play yesterday He went out there and willed himself To what carried the ball 20 times for a hundred yards over a hundred yards rushing It's pretty special in my book. There, there's no way he was missing this game. I don't care what we kept saying. He didn't look at that, man. That's what we just got to see if he could do it. He said he was going through, though. But got to protect the good ones from themselves."

7. On the play of Aaron Philo...

"He's going to be a good player. He's going to be special. He's got loads of talent. You know, be able to get him in the game and have him be able to execute, you know, after the first really couple of drives. We knew how we were going to have to piece the game together. They were able to unselfishly go out there and both of them play."

8. On what the win means for the program...

"I mean, you saw the students, you saw the fans. I mean, that's what it's special for, it's special for those people, it's special for the kids in that locker room, special for the, I mean, I've been two years now from the administration standpoint and how they've worked, what they've done every day. This is a sleepless job and there's a lot of people involved in allowing us to be able to have those opportunities and relish in those moments on a Saturday. And to do it here at home in front of our fans, in front of our students, That's what was special."

9. On what the win meant for homecoming...

"That's why it's homecoming, which I can say we had choice in who you pick or whatnot. I mean, it's nice. Anytime you get the alumni to former, former players to come back, uh, people that they care and care about the school, uh, people that have benefited from graduating from here, uh, especially let them see and that's what that's what I want people to see. I want people to see the we had good kids. We got good boys on this team now. They worked their tails off. They worked their tails off through the week, uh, not just in practice, but academically, um, put put the best version of themselves out there. And they're Tech men, and that's what we want here. And that's what I want the people to see, is that these guys, every bit of grit and toughness this place teaches you, that's what they're about"

10. On limiting Miami Receiver Xavier Restrepo...

"Yeah, no strep was one heck of a receiver I mean for a kid that I mean he's been in Miami what how many years now five years for whatever it is he seems like you say he must be 35 years old right now that kid is a tremendous football player I mean his routes understanding leverage and coverages and build his hands to contort his body to make plays he is a tremendous football player for that football team, and he would be for any team. He's going to have a long career play in this game. We knew we had to do some things to limit that. I look at it here, eight targets, four receptions. We had a plan in place, and we were able-- we had to-- right before the game, we had to make an adjustment within that plan based on some play availability, and we did, and those guys executed."

11. On Coach Kyle Pope's injury and Tyler Santucci's game plan for the defense...

"Well, I mean, the results speak for themselves, you know, but we still got a long way to go. That's, you know, from, you know, building the defense, having all the, you know, the different answers to different things, you know, continuing to, you know, the recruiting, which is so important and vital to us, you know, but week to week we've shown so so much improvement was a run defense. 88 yards rushing and for a team that was rushing just, you know, average just under 200, You gotta make teams one dimensional and we're able to do that. We had a plan to take certain players out of the game from a schematic standpoint. So I've been extremely pleased with Tooch and staff and what they've been able to do.

I don't want to say anything until I find that exactly how he is or not he did go up to the box and keep coaching I had it something I was gonna say it was kind of funny but y'all probably wouldn't think it was funny I think I was being mean I've never seen that happen I don't I think you both you know both knees went down went out so I don't know like all the injuries will check the injury report tomorrow and see how he is but hopefully it's okay but He wasn't missing this one either. Thank you."