ReportWire

Tag: Brent Key

  • Georgia Tech’s Brent Key sets record straight amid Penn State rumors

    [ad_1]

    Georgia Tech is on a bye in Week 11 following an upset loss to NC State on Saturday.

    More News: Brian Kelly Made His Intentions Clear in Obtained LSU Firing Email

    The Yellow Jackets are still in the College Football Playoff picture after the defeat. The CFP selection committee ranked GT No. 17 in its first rankings release on Tuesday.

    To make the CFP, Georgia Tech will need to have a strong showing in its final three games of the regular season against Boston College, No. 24 Pittsburgh and No. 5 Georgia.

    More News: LSU Linked to Ultimate Anti-Brian Kelly Candidate

    Amid GT’s successful season, head coach Brent Key has been a hot name for the coaching carousel this fall, especially for the open Penn State gig.

    Per Kelly Quinlan of On3 Sports, Key addressed rumors surrounding his future with Georgia Tech on Thursday. He said he plans to keep building a winning program in Atlanta.

    “Since I came back here, since I was named the head coach here, outside of the time with my family, every waking second of my life, has gone towards building this program, to get to the point that it is right now,” Key said.

    “So that in turn we can continue three years from now, five years from now, 10 years from now, continue to elevate this place to be in that conversation. Not to be in there for two or three weeks, but to be a consistent team, not when you lose one game, have people say the storybook is over.”

    Key, who played right guard for GT from 1997 to 2000, suggested that his loyalty to the program is supreme over what other schools could offer.

    “Nah, it is just beginning,” Key said. “Slice me open and see what colors I bleed.”

    Loading twitter content…

    Key took over GT before the 2022 season. He’s 26-17 overall and 19-10 in ACC play during his four seasons with the Yellow Jackets.

    Georgia Tech is having its best season since Key took over the program. His success in building a contender at GT will only draw more interest from elite schools until he signs a new contract extension.

    Key signed a five-year contract extension in 2024. But given the Yellow Jackets’ standing this fall, he’s in line for another raise.

    For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Georgia Tech on the upswing under Brent Key after one of darkest periods in program history

    Georgia Tech on the upswing under Brent Key after one of darkest periods in program history

    [ad_1]

    ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia Tech program that was about as low as it could go is suddenly filled with optimism.

    The Yellow Jackets are coming off their first winning season since 2018 and feel like they’re ready to push even higher under coach Brent Key.

    The Yellow Jackets were a laughingstock under previous coach Geoff Collins, who talked a good game but was woefully unprepared to lead a major-conference team.

    Those dark days are in the rearview mirror. While no one expects Georgia Tech to contend for national titles on a regular basis, this group has shown it can be competitive in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

    “We want to embrace these challenges that we have in front of us,” Key said. “Nothing’s easy. We don’t want it to be easy.”

    Key’s impact

    Heading into his second full season as coach, Key deserves credit for lifting the Yellow Jackets out of the abyss that was the Collins era.

    The fiery coach has instilled a winning, edgy attitude in his players, which paid off a season ago with unlikely victories over North Carolina and Miami.

    Georgia Tech was 10-28 in three-plus years under Collins, including a 7-19 mark in conference play. Since Key took over four games into the 2022 season, the Jackets are 11-10 overall and 9-6 in the ACC.

    Good to be King

    Haynes King returns at quarterback after a breakout season.

    The transfer from Texas A&M threw for 2,842 yards with 27 touchdowns to go along with 737 yards rushing and 10 more TDs.

    If there’s one thing King needs to work on, it’s being a bit more selective with his passes after getting picked off 16 times. But no one was complaining much after the Yellow Jackets averaged 31.1 points per game — their highest output in five years.

    “He does everything you want him to do,” offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in him and what he can do, and we just keep putting more and more on his plate.”

    Offensive weapons

    Faulkner received plenty of kudos for King’s development, which was hardly a one-man show.

    Running back Jamal Haynes piled up 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, to go along with 20 receptions for 151 yards. Eric Singleton (48 catches, 714 yards, six TDs) and Malik Rutherford (46 catches, 502 yards, four TDs) were the top receivers. All are back.

    “He’s got great players around him and he understands that,” Faulkner said of his quarterback. “He knows how to get them the ball and makes them look really good.”

    Defensive shakeup

    While the offense was a bright spot, Key was not pleased with a leaky defense that surrendered nearly 30 points a game, ranking 97th nationally.

    Georgia Tech overhauled its staff on that side on the line, most notably bringing in Tyler Santucci from Duke as the new defensive coordinator. Under Santucci, the Blue Devils surrendered just 19 points a game to lead the ACC and rank 16th nationally.

    He is expected to bring the same sort of results to Georgia Tech.

    “That’s why I got hired,” Santucci said. “Stop people, create takeaways, get the ball back to the offense and don’t let them score touchdowns. That’s not pressure. That’s our job.”

    The schedule

    Georgia Tech faces a difficult slate of games, beginning with the Aug. 24 opener against No. 10 Florida State in Dublin, Ireland.

    “It’s a great opportunity for Georgia Tech. for people to see the GT on a worldwide stage,” Key said.

    The Yellow Jackets also host No. 7 Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium — home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons — on Oct. 19 and close the regular season at top-ranked Georgia on Nov. 29.

    For good measure, there are back-to-back home games against No. 19 Miami (Nov. 9) and No. 24 N.C. State (Nov. 21), plus another tough road trip to Louisville (Sept. 21).

    It’s the kind of schedule that could make it difficult for Key’s team to improve much on last year’s 7-6 mark, even if they continue their upward trajectory.

    ___

    AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • No. 1 Georgia overcomes slow start, routs Georgia Tech 37-14

    No. 1 Georgia overcomes slow start, routs Georgia Tech 37-14

    [ad_1]

    ATHENS, Ga. — Stetson Bennett threw two touchdown passes and No. 1 Georgia completed back-to-back undefeated regular seasons for the first time in school history by overcoming a slow start to beat Georgia Tech 37-14 on Saturday.

    Georgia (12-0, No. 1 CFP) was down 7-0 early and led Georgia Tech only 10-7 at halftime. Then the Bulldogs overpowered the Yellow Jackets (5-7) with their running game to score 37 unanswered points and notch their fifth consecutive win in the state rivalry.

    Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton ran for touchdowns. Georgia outrushed Georgia Tech 264-40.

    The defending national champion Bulldogs are in good position to retain their No. 1 College Football Playoff ranking entering next week’s Southeastern Conference championship game against No. 6 LSU.

    Mistakes in the third quarter hurt the Yellow Jackets’ chance at spoiling the Bulldogs’ history-making day. Following a low snap, punter David Shanahan was tackled at the Georgia Tech 17. That set up Bennett’s second scoring pass, a 1-yarder to tight end Brock Bowers on a fourth-down play.

    Georgia Tech freshman running back Jamie Felix’s fumble was recovered by Georgia’s Robert Beal on the Yellow Jackets’ next play. The turnover set up a 36-yard field goal by Jack Podlesny to give the Bulldogs a 23-7 lead.

    Georgia pulled away in the fourth quarter. Bennett’s 83-yard pass to McIntosh — the Bulldogs’ longest pass of the season — set up McIntosh’s 2-yard scoring run. Milton added a 44-yard scoring run.

    The Yellow Jackets ended the Bulldogs’ string of 37 consecutive points on running back Dontae Smith’s 24-yard scoring pass to Malachi Carter with less than 3 minutes remaining.

    Georgia Tech became the first team to score a first-quarter touchdown against Georgia this season. Zach Gibson completed a 34-yard pass to Nate McCollum on a fourth and 9 play to the Georgia 7.

    Backup quarterback Taisun Phommachanh’s 7-yard scoring run capped the touchdown drive.

    The Bulldogs took a 10-7 lead on Bennett’s 5-yard scoring pass to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint in the second quarter. It was Georgia’s only pass of a drive that included a 45-yard run by McIntosh.

    Georgia Tech finished 4-4 under interim coach Brent Key and fell short in its bid to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2018.

    THE TAKEAWAY

    Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets again showed the progress they’ve made under Key. One year ago, the team’s third consecutive three-win season ended with a 45-0 loss to Georgia.

    After beating two Top 25 teams — Pittsburgh and North Carolina — on the road under Key, Georgia Tech was competitive for at least one half against the Bulldogs. Gibson, the Yellow Jackets’ third starting quarterback, showed good poise against the nation’s top scoring defense.

    Georgia: The Bulldogs have avoided letdowns this season, and if they were flat to open the game, they showed resiliency. Bennett avoided mistakes while McIntosh showed his versatility by posting game-leading totals of 86 rushing yards and 96 receiving yards on two catches. Bennett completed 10 of 18 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns and had five carries for 21 yards.

    POLL IMPLICATIONS

    Georgia should protect its No. 1 positions in the AP Top 25 and College Football Playoff ranking.

    UP NEXT

    Georgia Tech: Opens its 2023 season against Louisville on Sept. 2 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

    Georgia: Plays in the SEC championship game for the fifth time in six years when it faces No. 6 LSU next Saturday in Atlanta.

    ———

    More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25 Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

    [ad_2]

    Source link