Georgia Tech Football: Everything From Brent Key's Tuesday Media Availability

Brent Key spoke with the media today ahead of Thursday's game vs NC State

Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key shows emotion on the sideline against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech was back on the practice field today and getting ready for their Thursday night matchup vs NC State. After practice, head coach Brent Key spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say.

Opening Statement

"It's really two days out now, this is Thursday and all mindset for us as a football program. So, you know, normal Thursday procedures, we go through practice-wise, you know, staff-wise, everything's the same. So, you really got a one game season and that's all it is. And that's what we've talked to the team about, just seems all that matters. We've got some really good seniors that we played in their last game at home. We've also got an opportunity to accomplish some things that not a lot of teams have accomplished here in a long time. Those are all credit to our players and our staff for the way they've gone about the season to put themselves in a position to be able to do these things. We've had some adversity at times and I think that's the true character of not just an individual but an entire organization or team is how they handle adversity and able to come back and take challenging times, challenging things and be able to improve themselves and become a better version of themselves. So as we're working to do now, we're going to do this week and continue to play the guys that will play. We know we're banged up, we've been banged up, but had a little bit of a chance a couple extra days, not a real bye week, but a couple extra days to get some guys healthy and but that's what it is this time of year so play the guys you can play and have a good plan big thing is believing in the plan and having confidence in it and with the players and you know that we've been well on our way so you know you practice well during the week it just gives you an opportunity, doesn't guarantee anything so we've had a good week practice and looking forward to playing Thursday."

1. On how much the extra bye week has helped in terms of getting guys healthy...

"It's couple extra days like, guys you know something more than guys that are injured a couple extra days and do a whole lot of differences the nicks and bumps and bruises of a season the toll of the season, especially some of the positions were a little thin that still need to continue to get those guys in position to be the freshest they can. It's a night game, so that's again a little bit extra time during eight extra hours or so, seven, eight hours during the day to help that as well."

2. On NC State's defense...

"It's really, I mean, we've faced everything really. I mean, there's really only three ways you can play a defense. You have three down linemen, you have four down linemen, or you have five down linemen. Very few play with one. Very few play with two. Six sometimes on the goal line when you can do like a gap eight deal. But I'm serious, like, there's 330, the center's either covered, he's uncovered, or he's serious, like, there's 330, the center's either covered, he's uncovered, or he's covered and both guards are covered. That's the way we look at it. You have to break it down. So you know, one of those three things, it's you know, it's an odd front, it's a four down front, or it's a bear front. And you don't want to make things too over complicated with guys and different schemes and this now every week's a different schematic thing. It's what's important is what we do. We have rules to our, you or not just run plays for protections. We have rules and rules to be able to cover any of those fronts. Personnel is different, you have techniques are different. Yeah, but I mean, if you try to change what you do each week, based on who you're going against, you're never gonna get good at anything. You can't do that, you can't live in that world, so what makes, what makes it challenging? I mean, yes, schematically, but there's a lot of hats around the ball you know, they play a lot of you know, a lot of cover one cover zero expect we'll see a lot of that as well. You know fair, you know good amount of you know movement blitz and you know either you know three to side three to side either way or bringing them all a lot of max blitz so those are, those are the things are challenging. We have to handle the pressure in the blitz and have answers and be able to adjust to it."

3. On the legacy this group of seniors is leaving...

"Yeah, that's a great question. I'd love to answer it, but we've got one thing right now we're worried about, and that's one bowl game and it's on Thursday night. So there's no legacies are still being created. There's a lot of season left. And the one that matters is Thursday night. We'll handle those other things and we'll have time to talk about and rejoice back in the memories or is it rejoicing the memories, whatever it is, bask in the memories later on. But we had too much work to do to be able to go out and compete against a really good NC State football team on Thursday."

4. On going undefeated at Bobby Dodd Stadium...

"It's happened two times in the last 60, 58 years, 60 years. For these kids, those are things you want to stack. You want to stack those types of accomplishments together. So at the end of the year, at the end of the season, you can have time to reflect, that's what I was looking for. You reflect back on them, but that's a huge thing for these guys to be able to do and accomplish. But it's not played any different than the last game or the game before or the game before or the game before. Because of that, at the end of the day, we've got to like one play at a time, and everyone on this team is involved in the outcome to like one play at a time, and everyone on this team is involved in the outcome of it, whether you're on the field playing, you're on the sideline, coaches, staff, student assistant, student managers, student trainers, I mean, everyone in this entire organization is involved in outcomes on Saturdays. We have to understand that we've shown glimpses of being a really good football team, being a great football team at times, and we've shown that we can do those things. Now, we know what we're capable of doing. Now it goes out, are we willing to do that every single week? In order to do it every week, it starts the first day of the week with preparation. It continues out through the week, it's having the right mental and emotional discipline throughout not just the week, but then into the game. Playing one play at a time, throughout not just the week, but then into the game. Playing one play at a time, tail is off, and that's what our goal is for Thursday night."

5. On putting the Miami game behind them...

"If they're not, they're going to have a problem. Even more so if they're not ready for Thursday night. That was two weeks ago. In the world of football, two weeks is like two months, sometimes like two years. Every day is like a dog's life, like seven by one. What do you use the previous week for? Corrections, adjustments, understand what you've done well, not done well, all right? And that's why we have correction walks at the next practice, right? And after that, it's done, it's over. I mean, we hit the field last week, back on the field, and that was, it was a good win. You know, the kids understand that, but what do you want to be? You want to be a team that's remembered for a good win or a good season? I mean, that's a big difference in that, right? You know, Teams have good seasons, those become legacies, those are ones you reflect back on later on. A good win, right? So what now? They're good at the time, but we play full season. And that's what these guys have to continue to understand and build upon, is that our goal doesn't change each week. And I think they've improved on that. I do think they're improving. And, you know, It'll be a telltale on Thursday night versus a good football team in a good environment."

6. On NC State freshman quarterback CJ Bailey...

"Yeah, they're doing what he does best. It's not easy to put a refreshment in there and have him, your entire team relying on you, you won't be able to take some, I call them breather plays, not have as much on his plate every single play. You know, but they're, you know, they're passing the football, I mean they're throwing the ball. He's, he's, you know, he's a guy that doesn't look to just pull the ball down and run every time. If he doesn't see it there, I think they're doing a good job offensively, you know, from a play call standpoint, a design standpoint of trying to keep it simple for him, where he's not having to have full -filled, you know, deep progression type routes all the time. You know, and with that, with the controlled passing game comes ability to still manipulate the clock and control the time of possession. And I think they're top 10 team in the country in time of possession. So, you know, still to be able to, you know, play into the quarterback's strengths and still have the foundation principles of your football team. It's a mark of a good team to me."

7. On the defensive line and the improved run defense...

"Well, you know, we spent a lot of time in the offseason building the depth and you know developing the depth you know the unselfishness is one thing that jumps out I mean, you know, you're not looking for guys that want to get stats and have things on paper you want guys that want to play within the scheme of the defense that starts, you know with with the way Tyler (Santucci) presents and installs it, you know, then he goes from there to really the way Jess (Simpson) coaches and teaches it. And then it's in that room where the position coach, in this case Jess and Kyle Pope, speaking of injury reports, but where those guys have created a total buy -in to the defense. And the unselfishness they play with allow the linebackers and safeties to make make the tackles, once you start seeing success and you start seeing improvement, that's the thing. We're still dealing with 18, 20, 22 year old kids, they've got to be able to see themselves have success. You've got to show improvement, we ask them to do a whole lot every single day, so for them to do it and not see the improvement, you're never going to get buy -in. So for them, once they start to fill the defense improvement and the success that the defense has, there in turn the success that the team has, it's a lot easier to get the buy -in from them to do what they're supposed to be doing. And at the end of the day, that's what we want, when every single person could just do their job. You need to worry about what the backers do, or if you're aligning with the running back, just do your job. Let the others worry about their job. And if collectively we can do that, everyone just does their job and does the best they can do, right, you're going to have a chance."

8. On Running Back Trey Cooley...

Yeah, you know, I think that's one of those questions that, first off, I'm very proud of Trey. You know, He's gone through a lot this year and, you know, never once did anyone in this program waver on Trey Cooley, right? We've been there with him and want to make sure he has what he needs to be successful in five years from now, 10 years from now, 15 years from now, not necessarily in the moment as it is, but I think that's one of those questions you probably ask the locker room, ask the players. I think that'd be interesting to ask the players that because, You know what we do as coaches pales in comparison to what takes place in that locker room and how they have to go You know a brotherhood and then lean on each other and you know It's not always, you know smooth and nice and easy and they're gonna tell them what they need to hear but I think that'd be a good question. Ask the locker room."

9. On Thursday night home games at Georgia Tech...

"Yeah, so as far as getting the attention of everybody, that's, you know, go play in Piedmont Park if they let us. I mean, you know, that's, it's not about the other people seeing it. It's, You know, if you're doing it the right way as a player, you're worried about what your teammate, all right, you know, what the guy next to you does, you're worried about how you play, all right, scoreboards don't matter, so watch the TV cameras, right? Now, on the flip side for the exposure that you're trying to get in a program, we've had a lot of unique opportunities this season to get really good exposure for Georgia Tech, right? Not just Georgia Tech football, not just Georgia Tech athletics, but Georgia Tech as a school. Then in turn, that bleeds into the Georgia Tech Athletics as a whole and then into the football program. And if the football program can be any sort of a vehicle to get more positive exposure and rightly so for Georgia Tech, then we're going to take that opportunity every single time. I have a lot of really good memories of Thursday night games. It was a lot. It's special, it's special to be on that sideline and the night time and the lights and the buildings and the city and those will be a little crisp, crisp breeze in the air on Thursday and you know, clear night. It's, it was one of the first places they started doing it at. I mean, it's been over 40 times now. It's been Thursday night games And that's what I want these guys to understand. Because in a few weeks, the 2024 Georgia Tech football team won't exist anymore. It'll only be on a piece of paper. It'll only be in memory. Like I told the team today, it'll only be when they get back together again. So when they do get back together, I want those guys to have the chance to share a lot of really good memories of this season, one of them being their final game at home in front of our fans and our students who have been unbelievable this year. Our fan base, the way they've come out, how loud they've been in our students, to have the buy -in and the connectivity between the team and our students, they've run through brick walls for our students right now, I mean they would truly, because they know how much that means to us and to have a lasting memory of that being on Thursday night for the rest of the country to see our fan base, see our students and how important it is for our country to see our fan base, see our students and how important it is for our students to be the best student section in the entire country. All right, those are the things that are cool."

10. On the players holding each other accountable...

"I don't know where they get it from. So I try not to go in the locker room. I think the locker room's a sacred place. The locker room's a special place for the players to the point where when I became the head coach I mean I sealed up the door to the coaches locker room in there so the coaches don't go through there that doesn't mean we don't have people in there don't mean we don't you know could you know keep eyes on you know you know things going the right way but that's a that's a sacred place in there I mean I want those those guys to be able to do that right that's where you know people talk about the word culture that's where culture is created right or or that's what culture has not created, that's what culture could be ruined, is in the locker room. And if somebody's, if you're going in there and impeding on their time and their locker room, trying to find out what's always going on, you're never going to get a real feel for it. And you're probably not going to get the hold on each other accountable as much. So again, that's probably a player question, more so than to me, but that's what it's about. When you tell a team they have ownership in something, right, that's a tremendous responsibility that comes along with it. And the more they understand that and they understand that what they do and say with other players impacts what happens on Saturdays, right, then you have more guys start to speak up."

11. On how he has seen the secondary develop throughout the season...

"The versatility. You can think I'm crazy, but I really feel that there's a lot of similarities in the offensive line and the DBs. There's two corners, two tackles, or two guards, two safeties. There's a nickel and there's a center. They all have to work together. The difference is the offensive line is within an eight yard box. And the DBs are playing in a 53 yard wide box, but they still have to communicate, they still have to play together, they still have to work together. So early in the season, when we were playing a lot of guys at those spots, it was for all right, so when we get to this point of the year and something goes down or someone goes down and something happens we've got guys with experience and versatility. Otherwise, you know, you're looking at you get in the last getting a game seven, eight, nine, ten and then you guys are going to play him for the first time. That's a recipe for disaster. He takes some lumps early on you do when you when you play that way but in the long run, it's the most best for the team."

12. On Offensive Lineman Jordan Williams...

"All right, so Jordan, I don't want to say one thing about him playing, but I remember vividly the first day back, it was in 2020, Jordan comes in as a mid -year guy, goes through the spring practice all six days of it and we leave you know everybody remembers how it went during COVID everybody's going you know you're calling your players you're checking out you're doing your push -ups and your sit -ups and all this are you eating good oh yes sir mom's cooking me good the first day back we had scales set up in the indoor you, you couldn't get near anybody, Jordan walks in i'm like who is this I said get on that thing And I think the scale went up to 360 and stopped or broke so that's the highest read we got on him. He looks like the Good Year blimp He gained about 50 or 60 pounds over those couple of weeks or months, whatever it was, it was the darndest thing I've ever seen on an 18 -year -old kid. Then, you know, he's worked himself to get back in shape. He ends up winning the starting job then. And, you know, the first game, I mean, couldn't even get, like, keep his shirt tail tucked in. He's still so, so big. You know, anytime a lineman's playing right there's they're either really really really good right or it's out of necessity okay I know I think for myself it was definitely out of necessity when I had to play early I sure wasn't good enough but Jordan I'm some of them I remember it's weird I know I'm rambling here but I love Jordan Williams now I really do And to be someone that's gone through, you know, five years here, 50 games, I guess you say, and what he's going through in a program and stuck with it. I'm sure he's had opportunities to leave many times and go wherever he wanted. To have a guy stick through what he's stuck through at Georgia Tech and be able to say now that it's 50 games he started that's pretty remarkable to me but as a coach you remember the bad things and that they stick with you because those are those are learning moments those are learning moments being in the Carrier Dome Syracuse and no ones in the stadium and you know you have a five-man protection supposed to squeeze it on the front side you don't and The guy comes free and strips sack fumble. You learn from those things. You do, and he's learned from them over the years. Then jumping in, playing guard force in the pinch, well, you needed to play in different spots. I'm going to miss his face around here. I am. Jordan, good kid, he's growing into a really good man."

13. On what Senior Day Celebrations are like for him...

"Yeah, I mean, For years, remember my last game, remember my senior day, remember how special it was. You think about it in the moment, but you really don't understand it to later on. This is going to be a special one though. So might have to give you a hold and wait and give you that answer later on. You know, just think about last year, I'm just saying, you know, J King and Dylan and all the guys that just last year, it meant so much to this program. And then you got the guys that come in for one year, you got the, you know, last year, Connor (Scaglione), I mean, you know, Jackson (Hawes), you know. I mean, these guys that are one -year guys, they come in, but really become part of, you know, our culture and our program right and I don't care if you're here six years, seven years, eight years whatever Jordan's been here but or you're as old as Sylvain or you've been here for one year like Jackson I mean you go to the program and you leave here you're a Tech man and that's important to me."

Additional Links

Georgia Tech Football: Final Score Predictions For Thursday's Game vs NC State

Georgia Tech Football: ESPN's FPI Heavily Favors Georgia Tech In Thursday's Game vs NC State

Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Reveal Uniform Combination for Thursday's Game vs NC State