Georgia Tech is moving on from the Colorado loss, but Brent Key made it clear there’s one part of that game he wants corrected fast: the Yellow Jackets got too cautious when they should have kept pressing.
Key addressed the issue as his team shifted focus to Tennessee, and the biggest concern came on offense. In his view, Georgia Tech had chances to put the game out of reach and didn’t take them.
The first moment came after a Colorado stop and a blocked field goal, when Georgia Tech had a real opportunity to finish the job with a touchdown. Instead, the Yellow Jackets leaned on the clock, controlled the ball, and settled for a field goal to go up 13-7.
After Colorado answered and grabbed a 14-13 lead, Georgia Tech found a spark on Alberto Mendoza’s 42-yard pass to Dalen Penson. With the ball deep in opponent territory and time still available, the Jackets could have pushed for the end zone again.
Instead, a small loss led to another field goal try, and that kick was blocked too.
Key didn’t dance around it.
“At the end of the day, we were way too conservative as a football team. That's not the plan that we went into the game with.
We have talked through that, addressed that, and you can't play game conservative like that. Can't play conservative, okay?
Like everything I say, it's on me to get it corrected and fixed. And that's what we are in the process of doing.
But it's not like it's a wholesale change of things, right? We've got to do what we've done and do what we've done through spring ball and training camp and be able to go out there and, at the end of the day, put points on the board and keep them from getting points.
All right, the lack of toughness showed in our football team exactly what I said after the game. Really run the ball and stop the run, right?
Bottom line. Alright, and we didn't do either one,” said Key.
The takeaway from Georgia Tech’s side is pretty simple: don’t sit back when the offense has a chance to strike. Mendoza showed he can make plays when called on, and the Yellow Jackets have enough at quarterback and receiver to attack instead of waiting around. Mendoza’s numbers back that up, too - a 74% completion rate and an 85.5 Pro Football Focus grade point to a passer who can take smart chances without putting the team in danger.
That matters because the passing game can also help loosen things up for the ground attack, where Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley will keep drawing defensive attention. If defenses have to respect Mendoza down the field, everything else opens up a bit more.
Georgia Tech has the pieces. Key’s message is that the Jackets can’t afford to play like a team hoping things work out. They need to stay aggressive, keep teams under pressure, and keep hunting points until the final whistle.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Fans Still Have One Painful Colorado Play To Revisit
A week after the opener, the sting is still there for Georgia Tech fans looking back at Colorados comeback win. One of the biggest reasons is Boo Carter, who seemed to be everywhere for the Buffaloes in that game, working multiple roles at cornerback, kick returner, punt returner and in the slot while helping swing momentum in a contest Colorado ultimately turned around.
Carters biggest moment came on special teams, where he helped deliver the game-sealing field goal block that finished off the rally. The former Tennessee transfer has already been handed a major role by Deion Sanders, who has talked up his athleticism and upside, and the early returns were enough to earn Carter Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Keeps Sending Georgia Tech A Tough Recruiting Reminder
Georgia continues to flash its recruiting muscle with another trip to Athens set to draw some of the nations top young talent. Among the expected visitors are Georgia quarterback commit Jayden Wade and offensive tackle Landon Ghea, two prospects who represent exactly the kind of early attention that can shape a future class before most programs even get fully involved.
For Georgia Tech, the backdrop is familiar and a little frustrating. Wade, a 2028 quarterback who has been strong this season, remains committed to Georgia, while Ghea, a 2029 tackle and major Bulldogs target, is headed to campus as well. It is the sort of reminder that the Bulldogs are still landing in the middle of the recruiting conversation with the players Georgia Tech would love to keep closer to home. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Faces A Tougher Tennessee Test In Home Opener
Georgia Techs home opener comes with an early-season measuring stick, and Tennessee brings plenty of it. The Volunteers arrive in Atlanta with linebacker Arion Carter back after serving a one-game suspension tied to a payment from a sports agent, and they also carry the kind of defensive momentum that can make life difficult for an offense still trying to find its rhythm. For the Yellow Jackets, this is the sort of September game that can reveal a lot about where the team stands before ACC play starts to take shape.
Tennessee and Georgia Tech meeting in Atlanta adds another layer to the matchup, since it will be their first game there since 1986. The setting feels especially relevant for a Georgia Tech offense that has faced some recent challenges, because the Yellow Jackets will need cleaner execution against a Tennessee defense that has looked sharp early. It gives this opener a little more edge than a typical nonconference tune-up, even with the season still young. [Read more 🡒]