Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key talked to the media on Thursday for the final time before the game on Saturday. Here are the most interesting things he had to say.
Key challenged his team
Another big challenge awaits the Yellow Jackets on Saturday. Will they be prepared to answer the call again?
“Challenge our team to see if what we did last week was just an emotional response to the situation or if that's really who we're becoming, right? Who we are down inside. That's the challenge to the team. You go out and do it one time and play together. Play as one move, as one on the team. Support each other, be excited for each other. Or is that going to be a one-trick pony? So that's the question. That's what we've been talking about all week: continue to come out of ourselves and into the team and do what's best for the team.
On the current banged-up running back room
Georgia Tech is banged up at running back with Malachi Hosley being out dealing with an ankle injury. Justice Haynes is doubtful, and will likely not play. Now the Yellow Jackets will have to turn to its depth.
“Yeah, that's why we had a lot of guys there. That's why we brought a lot of, we have six guys in the room. I said numerous times before the season started, and I’ve said in the past, that is the position that gets banged up, and you need a lot of them. You need guys that can. Your third team back comes your first team back really fast. Your fourth team back is in the game playing. Meaningful snaps really quick. And scout team guys are up learning the game plan really fast to that position. That's nothing new. Very rarely do we see in the country the running back room stays fully healthy for the season. So the amount of guys dealing with Malachi is dealing with the same thing he was dealing with last year. An ankle, so hopefully he continues to get him back. Justice (Haynes) is banged up; we will see how he is as we move forward. But we've got depth there; we've got quality guys.
I'm very confident in all those guys. It'll be Trey, very confident in Chad, Shane Marshall. I think I've said before, the job that Shane and JP and Jayden Barr, what they've done on the scout field in a lot of ways, has been absolutely outstanding. I mean, outstanding. So, they're all ready. They've done a really good job on special teams as well. So, that's nothing new. That's one of those things that just, I say it is what it is.But in college football, that's a pretty common thing at that room,” said key.
On Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech will play a top unit on Saturday and willk have to stop several things to come out with a win. Coach Key harped on what the Hokies do well.
“So we've got a really good opponent this week. Offense, defense, special teams, they've done well in all of them. They have some older guys on the team that have really stepped up in whether they've been there, whether they've come in and transferred in. Done a nice job for them this year. So offense and defense, they're the top 25 or top 26 in the country, both of them.
They are really good against the run. They're good getting pressure on the quarterback. Brent Priy is a guy that we know very well. Have gone against him a lot. One of the good guys in the business really is. Brent is a hell of a guy, hell of a coach. Really looking forward to going against his defense and what he does on defense. Offensively, a couple of new guys in the league that follow James with him and the offensive coordinator. Really on offense starts with quarterback. Older guy experienced, does a really good job running the offense, can make all the throws, sneaky fast in how he moves, and he'll throw it up there. So they get three really good running backs. Can't really tell who's the starter, who's not the starter there with those two guys, with two of them. And then they have, in my opinion, what is the best tight end room in the country. They are deep.
They have arguably, but by some, but in my opinion, the best tight end in the country. Number 85 (Luke Reynolds) how they get him open, what they do to get him to football in all different ways. He's also a special teams player. So you just talk about an unselfish player. A guy on the team that would come in and do that. And you see him play on teams, you see what he does on offense. He's tough, he's physical, he blocks, he runs, and he catches.He's the total package of what you want that position.
Who Steps Up Now That Efford Is Done
Georgia Tech is moving forward after the sudden announcement from their captain and star linebacker Kyle Efford. Coach Key was honest about the need for others to step up.
"We all know what Kyle is. Kyle's still with us. He didn't go anywhere. He'll still be around, but it's time for guys to step up. It's time for guys to step up and do those roles and do those things. But from my standpoint, you walk through the door every day hoping for the best, but obviously expecting the worst every day. And how you prepare yourself for those things. What I found is-
The best way to handle those things is full transparency, completely honest, telling people the truth. You don't build relationships when those happen, you strengthen relationships. If you want for deeper relationships that we have with people and that I've built over time, it'd be a lot harder than it is,” said Key.
“Kyle's played less and less as a season went on. He missed two full games. Was not playing full games at that point in time, really the last couple he's been in. I think the consistency of Cayman (Spaulding) has really been impactful for us and it helped us as he continues to do that. Melvin's (Jordan) gonna have to be able to play. Obviously, EJ (Lightsey) is in there. He's kind of a mainstay, but he has been banged up to. So, you those young guys, you walk in the doors of freshmen and everything's new and you go into jumpstart jackets and freshman orientation and find them where your classes are. And all of now you're thrown in the mix and you're playing in big-time college football before you know it. So, again, really, like I said, that's something that has been a major emphasis since the beginning of the year for us and we're seeing why now.
What needs to happen for Georgia Tech to win
Coach Key hit on several things the Yellow Jackets need to do in order to win in Blacksburg one of the main things he talked about was discipline.
“We have to possess football. That's a big thing. I can see here you guys probably name off four of the five things I'm going to say, right? We've to be efficient on early downs. Can't go up there and just try to throw the ball around and, you know hope and pray for an explosive touchdown. That isn't how the game works. So we got to be efficient on early downs. We got to be disciplined. We got to play with discipline when we go on the road. Discipline doesn't always mean just penalties. Yeah, that's part of it. But discipline also means that discipline to execute your assignment, discipline to do your job, discipline to get aligned the way you're supposed to get aligned. Discipline to make the right calls, right communication to block out the externals. That's all part of the discipline that we have to have,” said Key.
On Josh Petty
Much of the questions have been about Josh Petty and with his status continuing to be questionable on the injury report, the anticipation for his return has been a question in press conferences. Coach Key was blunt and autentic when it came down to his former five star offensive lineman.
“Just to be even if he clears, doesn't mean he's going to play right? He's on the injury report for a reason. You know, he's a guy that would be playing if he want hurt so. Yeah, but he's he's hit that mark now that we all look for as far as time frame goes. It's really gonna be a matter of, he goes through his tests and his benchmark test on Fridays and gets his workouts and I'm excited to see where he's at. I mean, can't wait to get him back. My expectation for him. is to be the best version of himself. I don't have a play expectation for somebody. Not coming back from an injury that played so little last year. There's plenty of external expectations on Josh Petty that no one else needs to put anything else on him. That's something I thought that he's done a really good job in his second year in the program of handling those things and really overcoming them. Look, he's as talented as anybody I've ever coached.
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