Georgia Tech Postgame Quotes That Matter From Brent Key After Loss to Colorado

For the first time since 2023, Georgia Tech has lost its season opener. The Yellow Jackets lost at home to Colorado and now have a four-game losing streak dating back to last season. After a close, ugly game throughout, Georgia Tech allowed a go-ahead touchdown with 37 seconds left, but got back in field goal position after a big 40-yard completion from Alberto Mendoza to Dalen Penson. However, Colorado DB Boo Carter blocked the potential game-winning kick, and the Buffaloes beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

After the game, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key spoke with the media and here are the most notable things from his post-game press conference.

1. Lack of execution

It was no secret to anyone who watched the game that Georgia Tech did not execute well in a lot of different areas and Key was up front about that after the game:

"I don't think it was a lack of want to. I think it was a lack of execution. And when I talk about execution, there's situational execution, and then there's play execution. I think everybody in here has heard me say so many times, The things I look at to establish really an identity of a team and who we have been at times and who we work to be and who we will continue to work to be and we will be is to be able to run the football, stop the run, cover kicks."

2. Line of scrimmage play

Georgia Tech got beaten up on the line of scrimmage against Colorado and that was supposed to be an area where the Yellow Jackets had the advantage against the Buffaloes. The Yellow Jackets shockingly could not run the ball and at times, had trouble stopping the Buffaloes run game. After the game, Key acknowledged his team did not play well up front, but is confident it will get corrected:

"I wouldn't say concerning is the right word. Concerning to me is concerning means you can't fix it. It can't be fixed. There were a couple of drives in the second quarter where I thought a couple of the guys on the D-line got knocked off the ball. The amount of times that we tried to make a play instead of doing our job, busted a gap. How many times did you guys see, and I'm sure the same as me, the time that we weren't down in our stance on the defensive line waiting for the call? Concerning means probably to me that it can't be fixed. I don't have a crystal ball, but I'm still bullish on this team. I'm very confident in this football team."

3. Complementary of Alberto Mendoza

Mendoza made his first collegiate start tonight and played fairly well. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 237 yards and looked poised and accurate all night. Key was complementary of Mendoza, though wanted to get a full look at the tape first:

"Yeah, you know, I thought that – I thought he did – and look, next time I get with you guys, after I watch the tape, I'll be able to give you a little better evaluation of it. But I thought he did a really nice job of getting us in and out of the right play, of coming to the line, having presence. you know, sitting in there when you need to sit in there, you know, rolling out when you need to roll out."

4. Key explains final drive process

After Colorado scored with 37 seconds left to take the lead, Mendoza found Dalen Penson for a 40-yard gain that put Georgia Tech in position to take the lead with a field goal, but there was still time left for Georgia Tech to get a closer shot at a field goal or take a shot to the end zone to try and score a touchdown. Key opted to play for the field goal with Georgia Tech finding Kevin Roche Jr on a quick out, running the ball up the middle, and then spiking it to set up Aidan Birr for the game-winner, which was blocked:

"Yeah, I mean, with the time left, you know, with our, you know, I just, I felt that was the best decision. You know, you want to try to win the surest way, right? You know, with that amount of time with the downs we had, and look, I mean, look at the previous 55 plays, 60 plays of the football game. With the exception of the throw to Dalen, it's not like we were really getting chunks and moving the football and getting in a better position. That thing would have been blocked if it was a kick from the five-yard line. That's my vantage point. I couldn't see that part of the block.

I saw it get close to the one before. A lot of the things you do in a football game are based on the feeling of how it's flowed to that It's like the series before when we were going down and it was when we kicked the field goal prior. And, you know, it's in kind of that gray area, right? I mean, it's not totally gray, but it's like, okay, what does a field goal really do for us, right? Okay, it keeps, you know, they had to score a touchdown. They scored one in the game, okay? So, you know, or do you go for it from the 15-yard line?"

Georgia Tech will be back on the field next Saturday night at home against Tennessee. Kickoff is set for 7:00 and will be televised on ESPN.

Add us as a preferred source on Google