Brent Keys’ ‘true’ message to Georgia Tech football’s ‘gimmicky’ critics after Florida State’s surprise win
Georgia Tech football coach Brent Key wants the world to know his team means business. Key is defending his team and its identity after the Yellow Jackets’ upset win over Florida State on Saturday.
“More than anything, it’s seeing or knowing that so many people now watch Georgia Tech and the brand of football that we play and it’s not some kind of gimmick,” Key said, according to ESPN. “It’s real. It’s tough. We’re going to build at the line of scrimmage. That’s where games are won.”
Georgia Tech dominated in the trenches on Saturday, stifling Florida State’s offense. The Yellow Jackets beat the Seminoles 24-21, ending the Seminoles’ hopes of winning the ACC and advancing to the College Football Playoff.
“This means a lot to me,” Key added. “I love this place and I put everything I have into this program to make sure these kids have everything they need to be successful on and off the field. To see how successful they were tonight is amazing.”
The competition was held in Ireland.
The ACC seems wide open this season after Florida State’s loss
Florida State entered its football game against Georgia Tech ranked 10th. Many analysts believed the Seminoles would win the ACC, as they did last season. With Georgia Tech’s win, the entire conference seems to have been turned upside down. The Yellow Jackets were considered a team that wasn’t considered one of the top teams this year, and that assumption seems to be completely false.
The Georgia Tech football team held Florida State to just 291 total yards and 98 rushing yards. Florida State couldn’t get its running game going and the Yellow Jackets seemed more primed to win. The performance was a remarkable turnaround for Georgia Tech, which ranked 128th in the country in run defense last year.
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“We are building this program very deliberately,” Key added. “We are laying a strong foundation for it to last.”
The ACC has three new teams in the league this season: Stanford, California and SMU. The conference may be one of the most entertaining in the country, as no team looks like it will stand out from the rest. Time will tell how the cards stack up in the new-look ACC this year.
Georgia Tech’s football team next plays Georgia State on Saturday. The Seminoles next face Boston College on Sept. 2.
