Brent Key on facing Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins: "He is one of, if not the best running back in the country"

Georgia Tech faces Ole Miss on Saturday

Heading into the their game against Ole Miss in Oxford on Saturday, Georgia Tech currently has one of the worst run defenses in the country. While the Rebels have struggled to get their running game going, they have one of the best players in the country running their for their team and Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key knows it: 

"I know what I have seen on tape for two games, they are explosive, have a good quarterback who manages the offense and puts the ball where it is supposed to go and they have one of the best running backs in the country. Statistically, you can't just look at statistics on something. No. 4 is one of the best running backs in the country, they are going to get him loose. You can look and say they are not running the ball. Yeah right. You ask about what I know about somebody, that is Lane Kiffin. He is going to run the football, he is going to get No. 4 going.

We have to be balanced on defense to make sure that we are able to cover and to defend the explosive. But with No. 4, you are looking at one of the best running backs in the country, if not the best running back in the country. You can be rest assured that he is going to do everything he can to get that guy going this week."

When he was asked about how the defense might try and stop Judkins, this was Key's response: 

"That is what we are working on right now. We had a physical practice, we will have another physical practice tomorrow. You can't just hone in on one single person on their offense, they have multiple playmakers. If you put seven guys up there on him, you are going to be really weak on that back end, you would have some disadvantages there number wise. We have to have balance in what we do defensively, whether it be able to play static or play pressure, whether it be changing fronts or changing coverage, whatever it is, we have to be able to mix those things up and keep them out of rhythm. As I say to the staff and the team all the time, we want to be the hammer and not the nail, whether that be the offense, defense, or special teams."

Brent Key called Quinshon Judkins one of the best running backs in the country / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

 While he is off to a slow start this season, Judkins put together a season to remember in 2022 when he ran for nearly 1,500 yards, including 98 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets currently are allowing over 200 yards rushing per game and Judkins is going to provide a big test this week. 

While Key thinks highly of Judkins, that is not the only part of the Ole Miss offense that is explosive: 

"They get the ball deep a lot of different ways, whether it be the play-action game, the RPO game... they really do a nice job with the play-action game complementing the RPO game and getting guys in space and missed tackles to create their explosive plays in the passing game and everyone is aware of it, it is the ability to go out there and play good sound technique and communicate and be able to slow those guys down.

You know, you're not going to stop every single one. That is the goal, the goal is to go out there and stop every single play and be efficient on every single play, but that is not going to happen in college football, it's not going to happen with these guys, they have a good offense. So, we have to play the next play, whether the last one was good or bad and make the necessary adjustments that we need to make."

So far this season, Judkins has 108 yards on 31 carries and three touchdowns. With how much Georgia Tech has struggled to run the ball, you can expect him to see plenty of carries on Saturday night in Oxford. It will be up to the Yellow Jackets defense to stop him. 

Georgia Tech vs Ole Miss will kick off on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network. 

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