Georgia Tech Football: Everything From Yellow Jackets Head Coach Brent Key After Wild Win vs NC State

Georgia Tech defeated NC State in the final seconds to move to 7-4

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the field before a game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech looked like they were going to lose their game to NC State tonight, but true freshman quarterback Aaron Philo led the team to a comeback win in the final seconds, with the game ending on an NC State missed field goal. After the game, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say.

Opening Statement

"All right, good win, all wins are good wins. The guys, they kept fighting, kept scrapping, gave up some plays. Didn't have a lot of success in different times, weren't consistent at times, but then found a way at the end to get what we needed. Bailey (Stockton) came up with some big catches out there, some big catches. Defensively, played really well, in spurts, and then gave up some explosives. But I thought we overcame those, but the big thing we did, we were able to create some turnovers on defense tonight and set up a score on one and scored on one. So huge difference in the game, able to knock back some of those field goals. Aidan was big, from the spot where it kind of is a tough area for him, I should say, earlier on in the season. That right hash, 32, 33 yard line area. So that was good to see. But look, you see there, you look through the stats. End of the day, what matters, we came out for win. Good for the I'm proud of those guys to be able to go out, win at home, and have won every game at home this year. So really proud of those seniors and happy for those guys. So credit to Dave (Doeren), I think I've said before, how much Dave Doeran and respect I have for him and the program he has. He's been a good person to seek advice from at different times. So I thought they played a really, really tough physical football game. We knew it was going to be that way. We knew we'd come down to a score in the fourth. Didn't know exactly how that would be, but we sure did."

1. On the message to Aaron Philo On the last drive and What he Said To Him After He Scored...

"Let's go play. That's the thing about him. I mean, Aaron has such a, you know, he's a very focused young man. All right, but when it's time to go, we just, All right guys, let's go, let's go have some fun, let's go play. They're playing two man, they turned their backs to the quarterback and he saw it a couple times, was able to take off and pick up two real big plays with his feet there.

I can't remember that. Or I can't say that, one of the two, no. Brought him and he he gave it up on that last run and made plays with his feet in as well."

2. On NC State's Final Field Goal Attempt...

"Don't make it. I mean, you know, what was going through my head was really where Zeke aligned, was aligned to the right spot. Would he have a chance to get the push we needed to get his hands up and get a hand on it?"

3. On the rush defense in the 4th quarter...

"Yeah, regardless of what calls we make, we still got to be able to limit the rushes. We went into some three -man fronts, played some more coverage there at the end when they were throwing the football. you know still got to be able to rally and contain the runner you know several quarterbacks quarterback scrambles not designed for the quarterback scrambles where we were in man coverages and had our backs turned so but we had spy and we can't get caught up in the blocks."

4. On Aidan Birr's ability to go 3-3 tonight on field goals...

"I mean, he's with the last, I mean, three for three tonight. I mean, the last four or five, I think it's four weeks I guess. Kind of come out of his slump, you know, he said it. I mean, he was struggling, was in the slump, and it's not like it's a secret. Everybody knew it, so it's not One of those things where you don't talk to him, it's not the pitcher throwing the no hitter. I mean, you have to talk to him about three or four weeks ago. In practice, one day we, in a practice, called up field goals and had the whole team come out there and circle around and he missed a couple and the team kept staying behind him. And I thought it was important for him to understand that he's not a singular person on the island out there, that the whole team's behind him, And he doesn't have the play or something when you miss one. And then his confidence is back. Those things kept popping up on that 32 yard line right hash. I mean, those were the word I was trying to find earlier, the Achilles heel, for him earlier in the season. But now he's like, all right, let's go, 32 yard line. We'll knock this sucker back. And they ended up there."

5. On the creativity of the game plan with both quarterbacks...

"Yeah, going into the game, we knew that we were going to last a long time. I mean, that's-- We figured what they would play, and they had all hats on the ball. We tried, especially when Haynes was in there. Even with Aaron, they were still playing a little bit more of an umbrella coverage around it. So we had to get creative. We were trying to get the guys through, trying to get some running backs through, or the quarterback through on a couple of runs just to stay efficient and move the chains. We didn't have a lot of success with it. We really didn't, so we were able to hit a couple of throws, had a couple of drops on some throws where we could have had bigger, some more big plays. But look, a lot of those things at the end of the day, we'll come in and get those corrected, work on them, and then develop a plan for the next game."

6. On the two-minute drill...

"I think practicing it all the time helps. I mean, you go out and practice something. I mean, we do some form of a situational two minute every single day. Every single day we do, whether it's two minute before the half, two minute in the game, last play, got to have its different areas of the field. We do them every day. So it's something we work all the time because you get those maybe once every four or five games, maybe twice a season. And you have to-- there has to be a calmness to them. They can't feel like it's the first time you understand. We had one time out there, and we had a long way to go. So quarterback understanding when to be able to get the ball out of we wanted to get down after we got first, throw in the ball and the flasks to the sideline to get the ball out of bounds to stop the clock. But we do those things a lot, so they do have the preparation behind them."

7. On being able to go undefeated at home...

"I was a player gosh I mean that was nobody on this team was alive so I mean ancient days man and everything's digital now with the film I mean if you look at the film it was like grainy and you know beta VHS and stuff I mean so I don't have any hair man so I'm happy for these kids I'm happy for all the kids, the kids in the stands, the students. I mean, the fans have come to the games and built, I mean, those last couple of drives when we had, it was really, it was loud, it was a good environment. That's what I'm happy for."

8. On Romello Height's ability to close out games...

"He is really the last three or four games really gotten into a groove. I mean, with his pass rush, he's playing the run well. He's relentless. I think, too, I think, you know, (Kyle) Pope was done. Maybe it's Pope not having knees right now. Maybe that's what it is. Maybe he changed his coaching philosophy. I don't know. Maybe he was scared of Pope on the sideline. He's been in the system now for a year and had the same coaching. And he's taking the coaching, Kyle Pope's a heck coach and you know really you know when you rep something you know for three weeks all right you're not gonna be as good as when you rep it for three months and you know he's instead of trying to do a bunch of different moves he's got a couple of different moves a couple of different pass rush moves he's learned to set things up he's learned that every play is not gonna be a sack all right then you have to set those things up but I love the way plays. He's relentless in the way plays. His attitude, his energy on the sideline, his energy on the field, it's infectious."

9. On what gave him confidence in Aaron...

"Hmm, one couldn't go, another one couldn't go, another one couldn't throw, hmm. Look, look, look, he's proven himself in practice. And look, we all know practice is a lot different than games, a lot different than games. You know, we were talking before we came in here about, you know, about some of the throws. I mean, it's different throwing routes on air than it is. You've got three, four guys bearing down on you. You've got to move your feet, avoid the rush. Different arm angles with guys coming in your face. So he's proven it in practice. He throws a good ball. He's got good rapport with the receivers. And he's the only one to continue to get better."

10. On Next Week vs Georgia...

"I'm passionate about playing them. I'm passionate about those guys in the locker room. It's the next game. Come on. No, I mean, we came in the locker room and we got things we got to clean up tomorrow. We got things we have to correct. We'll be out tomorrow. And look, we have the biggest game of the year coming up. I I mean, it's in state rivalry game. That's what it's about, rivalry game."