Everything From Brent Key's Press Conference Before Game vs Virginia

What did interim head coach Brent Key have to say at his presser?

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Oct 17, 2022 2:44 PM EDT

In this story:

Georgia Tech interim head coach Brent Key spoke with the media today ahead of the matchup on Thursday night with Virginia. Because the game is on a Thursday night, Key had his press conference earlier in the week instead of his usual day on Tuesday.

Here is everything that Key had to say today to the media.

Opening Statement

"Had a really good competitive period at practice before I came over here, I will get my voice back in a second. We were just getting ready for Virginia this week, we had some time off there with the bye, which it was a nontraditional bye week as opposed to playing on a Saturday and having two weeks before playing again, playing on a Thursday moves it up a little bit. Today is really Wednesday, yesterday was Tuesday, last Friday was our Sunday practice and as you know in our normal week of practicing on Sunday, we gave them the next day off, which was Saturday, but it was really Monday, so if yall could stay with me on this right now, I am actually confused myself as to what day it is at all so I just know that it is Wednesday and we are staying with that routine and I know it is third down and red zone day so that is kind of how we have to live in the building right now because it also has to reflect to the players the same way that Saturday was really a Monday during the week and we had to come back and get ready for a Tuesday practice the next day."

"And I spoke to them on Friday when they left and said both teams are in the same situation, as far as having the weekend as far as not having a game and on the bye week and whoever came out handling that weekend the best was going to have a big advantage in the game so we presented it to the guys, to the players and they had to take advantage of that time and had to use it wisely and it wasn't really a Saturday off so I think they came back yesterday with good energy and good execution for a Tuesday practice, then we were able to meet last night with them and put the practice to bed and then we got in this morning, gave them a little time to sleep this morning and it is Fall break at school right now and I think they really appreciated that, you know how it is when you are 18-22, 30 minutes to an hour of extra sleep is like gold so allowing those guys to sleep in a little bit and then to come in this morning refreshed and ready to go and I thought we had really good attention to detail and execution and a pretty darn physical practice and that is what we were asking for, that is what we wanted. As coaches, we wanted to make sure that we were coaching toughness and the only way to really develop toughness is to actually do something hard and to be in tough situations so that was our goal going into practice and the kids really responded really well."

1. On Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong and his offensive line...

"It is all 11 pieces working together on either side of the ball and special teams. For that quarterback to have the confidence in the guys up front and in protections and how they adjust up front and those kind of things, that kind of trust is built over time. I turn on the tape and I don't see it. I see a dangerous guy, I see a guy that has elite receivers on the edge that have playmaking ability. They are long, they have extended reach where they, even if a ball is off, they have length at the receiver position that allows them to overcome that with the catch radius and he is able to get that ball to those guys and push the ball down the field."

"One stat that is really interesting, that you very rarely see is Virginia in 2nd and long, which is 2nd and 11 plus and 3rd and 11 plus, they are like one of the top teams in the country and that is terrifying. That is scary to see, just statistically, usually you see, you are coaching your defense and trying to get them off schedule and get them behind the sticks and these guys are one of the top teams in the country in 3rd and 11 plus so when you are looking at the overall game plan,it kind of throws a little wrench in your plans."

"I guess you could say that he is having a down year, but I don't know and I don't see that. I see what he has basically done on film these first six games and I see a dangerous quarterback and one of the better quarterbacks in the league."

2. On former running backs coach Mike Daniels resigning Friday...

"I wish him the best and we are moving on to UVA so that is what we are looking at right now. As far as a 10th assistant, we will sit down and make decisions and put some thought into it after the Thursday game but right now we don't want anything distracting or taking us off what our ultimate goal is."

3. On if he can sense a new feeling of excitement around campus and what to expect on Thursday night...

"The experience on campus has been getting in my truck and going down Techwood and turning and crossing the bridge and getting on the bypass and getting on 75 so I couldn't tell you but I think there is excitement in our locker room and that is important and that is what matters. There is excitement in the staff room and there is excitement for what has happened in the past. There is an energy and an excitement for what we have and the ability to do it every day with these kids."

4. On if he had a previous relationship with new athletic director J Batt at Alabama and his thoughts on the hire...

"I think President (Angel) Cabrera made a good hire and we trust him and his decisions. We were together at the same time at Alabama, I thought somebody said it was a year or two years and what you have to understand at that place, you have very very little contact with anyone outside of your own hallway, which is about five people. Then you have to go into the staff meeting room and then you have contact with about 30. There is very little time as a coach to have interaction with other people and it really is a bubble, whether it is here or there, interactions are not as much as you might think there are."

5. On if there has been any interaction with Batt since he was hired...

"I haven't even seen him, we have been at practice this morning. He just got here today, we have been at practice and there might have been some meetings or something with some people on the staff but we have football practice. I am sure we will have a conversation at some point, he met with all of the head coaches at some point or maybe right now but I wanted to come to see yall."

6. On Virginia linebacker Nick Jackon and if there is a game plan for him...

"I don't think you focus on one player individually. You pinpoint the players that are active within the defense and the playmakers and the captains of the defense. His is a little different because he is plays the middle linebacker so when you ID the protections and runs, he is the point of emphasis and who you point to. Yeah there is a little bit more because of his position, but he is a good football player and within the scheme of the defense and what they want to do and how they play their front, they are not a really vertical penetration type of team, they are a flat wall and play off the line of scrimmage a little bit and keep everything in front of them and that is what allows them to be able to free flow tackle to tackle and make plays."

7. Injury updates on wide receiver Malachi Carter and others...

"He is day-to-day and we expect him to be out there, barring anything, hurricanes or earthquakes or global epidemic fires or anything like that, I expect Malachi to be out there and I am excited to get him back too."

8. On Jeff Sims' injury update and if Joe Fusile is back with the team...

"He is day-to-day, so we will see when we get out there. We will make a decision on Thursday on him and how he plays but there is nothing to say that we don't think that he would but we will just make the decision Thursday. Joe is back and it is so good to have him back and to have his teammates around him right now and let Joe be Joe and the release of being around his teammates and being in the locker room and on the field and it is good to see Joe back and good to have Joe back"

9. On the things he has to look out for going against Virginia...

"You just turn on the film and watch them and people can make a big deal about teams records and this and that but obviously in the position that we are in, there is no way we are going to talk about a teams record. When you look at them, you see a team that plays hard and plays good football and early on, they have had some turnover issues on the offensive side of the ball but then again they are a defense that has created turnovers and gained a lot of turnovers and that is a part of the game that we have to be able to swing into our balance is the turnover game. We have been good on offense and have not turned it over and our defense is good at getting them but we have to be able to turn that part of the game."

"One of their losses was 22-20 against Syracuse, who is a 6-0 team and Old Dominion is a pretty good team as everybody is starting to see, so I don't see a team that is defined by a record at all and then we have to take those things that we have defined during the week, offensively, defensively, and special teams and be able to put the whole pie together and be able to play complete football and play a complete team game across the board."

10. On his thoughts about coaching his first Thursday night game...

"Ok, me coaching on a Thursday night game has zero impact on anything, we are going out there as a staff to coach a football game, but Thursday night games in Atlanta are special. They really, really are. The vivid image of being on the sideline on the west side and being able to see across and see the skyline of Atlanta and the lights and the sound and I am getting chill bumps talking about it. It is a special setting and it is one of the first places 25 years ago where they really started doing the Thursday night football games on ESPN and it was a mainstay and it was part of the season. You turned on Thursday night football to see one or two times during the season to see Georgia Tech on TV and the original crew that used to do all the games, Kirk (Herbstreit) and Chris Fowler and who was the sideline then, was it Erin Andrews back in the day? I am dating myself now but it was special to run out of that tunnel on Thursday nights here at Georgia Tech and able to play football games."

"For me as a coach, it is another football game to go out there and coach for myself and the staff and for these guys over here to have the opportunity to run out of the tunnel on Thursday night and to be able to experience what it feels like, the fans and the students behind them, that is what I am excited for. I really am. I can't wait to have these guys, the ones that have not experienced it, to see what that really feels like."

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