Everything From Brent Key Ahead of No. 12 Georgia Tech's Matchup With Duke On Saturday

It is game week for No. 12 Georgia Tech and it is a big one. The Yellow Jackets head out on the road this weekend to face Duke, who is 3-0 in ACC play. The winner of this game is going to be in the drivers seat when it comes to getting to Charlotte for the ACC Championship.

Ahead of Saturday's game, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key spoke to the media and here is everything that he had to say:

Opening Statement...

"Back on the road again this week, have a really good challenge for us and we are excited for it. Came out Sunday after the previous game and got a lot of things cleaned up and corrected to put ourselves in a position to grow from that game. Always good to come out with a victory on Saturday and I think the cool thing about this team is that they understand there is more out there for them to continue to improve and that is, you don't want a team that peaks but understands that they can continue to get better and we can, there are lots of areas that we can improve in all phases of the game and we are going to have to do that to play a competitive game this weekend.

Playing on the road is awesome, going into a different environment and it is an opportunity for us to come closer as a team and build our trust even more with each other, knowing we love playing at home, the crowd has been outstanding, the environment has been outstanding but it is a different type of situation to go on the road, it gives you another chance to come together as a football team, to really go against everything that should be in your favor when you are playing at home and we relish that and we are excited for it.

We had a good practice, fired up for the way the team came out, they were focused in their intensity today and we will have to do the same thing tomorrow to be able to go up and have a chance on Saturday."

1. On slowing down Duke's offense...

"Yeah, I mean I don't think you, you stop them, they're going to get their yards, they're going to get points, we want to limit that as much as we can, and we've got to do things that we've done well, got to continue to do them. I'm not sitting here and giving you the game plan of what we're going to do, and then putting our players in positions to be able to make plays. But look, you guys know how I am. I'm about, you know, there's a ton of plays and calls and blitzes and coverages and runs and passes and all that stuff is cool and fun, but, you know, how hard are you going to play to the football, how are you're going to work to get off a block to sustain a block, you know, to tackle a guy and get him down where he, you know, catches the ball, make plays on the football, protect the football, be a disciplined team. That's what's important. That's what's really important. That's what our DNA as a team is. We've got to continue to do that well and improve on."

2. On what makes Manny Diaz special as a defensive coach...

"I ain't got time to get into philosophy, man. I didn't take that class here. I don't know how many philosophy classes we have at Tech. So he's a good football coach. I mean, they move. They play a lot of different, not necessarily different fronts, but different variations of what they do. I mean, whether it's zone pressure or man pressure, different line stunts and games inside. You know, their D -line gets off the ball, it's vertical. You know, I think they're fourth in the country in havoc rate as a defensive line.And, you know, but everything that's good, there are also disadvantages as well. We've got to take advantage of those times when they come up and be able to be consistent with it throughout the game. We've got to control the tempo of the football game. And I'm not saying control the clock. What it is. Again, I'm not going to get into a game plan here, but I respect Manny a lot. I've known Manny a long time. A good person, good family man, you know, and damn good football coach."

3. On having his name mentioned for other jobs...

" It's no different than Haynes or Kyle or Keylan and Jamal or I mean like no different than any of our players. Their names are floated around all the time for different things. You rather have your name talked about in a positive way than a negative way for sure. So it comes with the territory. Look, if the player came to me and said, hey, coach, I think you need to talk to the team about something like that. I would. I'm very transparent with this team. You try to keep things as black and white as possible. But I'm pretty sure everybody on that football team knows exactly where I stand."

4. On injury updates for Ahmari Harvey...

"I will on Thursday."

5. On how Harrison Moore is playing at center...

" Yeah, I mean, grade every kid every week. And, you know, it's kind of a very open -ended, tough question, to say how's somebody playing especially to me I can sit here and tell you what I think and it would be about every single person because look he's playing good enough to win football games that's fair, now Harrison has improved each week you know consistency within the snap and you know snapping the ball making the calls leaving the offense you know, veryone's got to trust that position. I think he's improved every week. Me and, me and Harrison have spent a lot of time together, a really good time together. Me and him have come close over this last six, eight weeks. And that's what you're supposed to have with your centers and quarterbacks. Those guys that touch the ball every single play. I thought he had some really good things on Saturday."

6. On the running back depth with Trelain back...

"Yeah, it is really important. Especially with the way we practice and the way we play. the way we utilize that position. sometimes it may appear that there is one running back in the game, but there is two. It is a very valuable position for us and that is why we increased the depth at that position in the offseason and it is really paying off for us. We got some guys on our scout team at that running back position that are killing it over there, the future is really bright for those guys in the program and with Chad working his way back in, it is good to see him out there. He is on that scout team you know, create nightmares over there. You know, speed and just, you know, he's at that point, he's working his way back into playing shape. So we'll be excited to get him back to him."

7. On the cornerbacks who need to step up if Ahmari is out...

"Yeah, You know, that's the reason we play a lot of guys on defense, we play a lot of guys on the football team, the only way to really get experience is to play. Rodney Shelley was out for the first few games so he is getting back in the swing of things and back in the mix so that is good to see, you know, Daiquan has played a lot of football, Jon has played a lot of football, we have depth there, it is like the running back situation, we have some guys who are young that are not quite ready yet but they are going to be good football players too so if anything were to happen like that, it happens with a position where you have depth and experienced depth."

8. On if the team is buying into the concept that they are going to get every team's best shot...

"You know, I think earlier on as a head coach, you used that mentality, the almost, hey, you better be ready. You better know what you're getting into, almost like out of a threat or a fear tactic. It's not that way with this team. You know, I'm very transparent, like I said, with them all the time about what we're going to get. But we also focus on us and what type of, what version of ourselves are we going to have. But just to go out, just to see practice. I mean, you could close your eyes at practice today and you can hear the way it sounded and know that it was good football practice. And that tells me all I need to know."

9. On having the coaches and members of the 1990 National Championship Team back on Saturday...

"Well, I mean, it means a lot. Before I say that, they didn't make any calls, right? They didn't, they didn't call any plays. Not even George, he didn't. No. They weren't with me with 21 seconds to go in the first half when, you know, you think you have something, you don't have something, you think you do again. It's foo, foo, foo, foo, no, none of them were there, and I think they were all saying, well, hey, hi, you got this one, big boy. No, but it No, it was special, just to have those here. The biggest thing, though, I think it was a great representation of the alignment and the continuity we have here at Georgia Tech now. That was the biggest thing that it showed. It showed that this is a special place. And it's a family, the people that have coached and had success here in the past. just for them to know how much they mean to me, how welcome they are here all the time because they're a part of this program. I mean, those men are all a part of this program, and we're not where we are today if it's not for those me."

10. On how his team has approached the middle third of the season...

"Yeah, I've been pleased with them. I've been very pleased. I think we're building a building bigger and stronger each week as opposed to the other way. I know the way they came out and attacked the game on Saturday. Look, and you say that you know, plays here, plays there, this, that, You know, which, you know, the thing we were hanging on, I mean, this is an imperfect game that we all, you know, strive for perfection. But we came out and we won a game that we needed to win. It was a conference game. A team that we struggled with mightily with last year. And, you know, to see our guys come out and play that way, but then after the game, to see them already know, hey, we've got to get better to this. We've got to improve on this. We can't do this. We have to do this. We have to do this better. I thought that was what was really, you know, a telltale for me."

11. On what it was like for him to see the stands full on Saturday...

"It's awesome. It's awesome. You know, the fans that are rallying behind this team, supporting this team, and, you know, look, the diehards are going to be there regardless, right? It's the people that might not have been a Tech fan prior. It's the people that might not have had an allegiance to any school. Somebody that might have gone to school, you know, a thousand miles away from here, and this is where they live now, and, you know, opted to this team is their hometown team. That's what's really cool. And if you don't think it impacts our players and affects them when they run out on that field and they, in stands are packed and people are on their feet, it was loud on third downs when defense is out there, it's, we have a very unique home field advantage. You talk about distractions. I can imagine coming and playing here at being an opposing team. When you look up, there's some the tallest skyscrapers in the United States. I mean, that's distracting. Just that alone, just the skyline. I mean, there's different things. The fans are right on top of you. It's brought back a lot of good memories. and now they're not just memories now they're now they're real they're present."