THE WAIT IS OVER!

I think this season has a sneaky chance to be 2007 all over again.

Final time for traditional conference matchups.

Enjoy!

Go Jackets!!!!

In case you simply can’t wait for football any longer, ex-GT great Taisun Phommachanh is playing on ESPN right now for the 133rd ranked mighty Minutemen of UMass. And they have a nearly insurmountable lead over New Mexico State! You are welcome.

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Games are kicking off in about two hours or so, but I just finished working on a Twitter list that has me excited to share..

For those on Twitter who are always trying to see who is playing who and when, who is winning as it happens, etc. I put together this list-


Following the Future will debut next week

As promised, let’s do this.

Fire away

At the Andalusia game on Thursday night, DT commit Landen Marshall was seen wearing an Auburn towel, with Georgia Tech gloves.
Login to view embedded media When talking with my colleague Caleb Jones, Marshall re-iterated that his commitment is still at a 10 out of 10.

Both Auburn and LSU are still recruiting him. Auburn will host him for an unofficial visit next weekend. He will be at Georgia Tech the week after.

Marshall said that while it would be great for Key to get things off and running in year one, he’s more focused on what he and the rest of the current commits are going to do once they get there.


Marshall is not an early enrollee. Buckle up, this one may have some twists and turns to follow depending on what happens elsewhere.

Figured I would start a thread for lines, movement, and if anyone is taking any bets each week.

1 thing of notice is GT opened as a 8.5 point dog to Louisville. That number is now down to 7.5 with 70% of the bets on Louisville. Meaning big money is on GT +8.5 and +8. I will be on GT ML (money line) should be about +135 to +150 when it opens for me.

The O/U has opened and stayed at 51.5.
Remember this year clocks won't stop on 1st downs. Will be interesting to see how books place over/unders with the new rules. Possibly skew them towards the under.

I'm also watching the SDSU/Ohio game on 8/26. Kurtis Rourke is in his Senior year and had a hell of a year last year. Throwing for over 3,000 yards. 25 TDs to only 4 Ints while rushing for 4 more TDs. Their Sophomore RB had over 1,000 yards on the ground and 13 TDs. He is back for his Junior year. The Bobcats return 9 starts on offense. 4 on the offensive line that led them to a 10 win season last year.
I think Rourke leads them to a cross country Win. As 3.5 dogs. I'll take them with the ML.

With high school football season now underway, and GT now exactly a week away from beginning their season, there is plenty to talk about.

See below for the Q&A schedule for the next week. Let's talk recruiting, football, high school football, baseball, basketball recruiting, or whatever else you want to ask!

SATURDAY- 8pm

THURSDAY- 9pm

SATURDAY- 7:30pm

I spilled roughly a gallon of gas in the back of my SUV (lesson learned, next time the gas can is getting buckled up tighter than Mrs. FSB when @mkwilliams is in the zip code.) I have scrubbed the whole back with baking soda and vinegar and taken everything (mats, spare tire, etc.) out and sun dried it and then cleaned it all with denatured alcohol.

Son of a dwag it still has the gasoline odor. It's not as strong after all of that, but any suggestions?

Disappeared from my Xfinity channel lineup overnight. I only get the SD channel now. Anyone else having this issue? SECN and B1G HD channels are still there.

Who's pumped? I wound probably be going out of my mind if I wasn't just as pumped for Scooters first game 4 years ago. Truth be told he had the hype going back then and I thought we were in for a great ride.

I do have confidence in CBK, but I know he's doing it right and there could be growing pains. I don't know what to expect. As a Tech fan, I've been burned too many times in the past thinking we will pull the upset. We shall see.

Go Jackets.

Sad couple of days for professional wrestling. Legend Terry Funk passed away and today Bray Wyatt (36) died of a heart attack.

RIP

The team was off from practice today and will go Friday/Saturday/Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday for practices with everything just pushed up a day. Sunday is Monday, and Thursday would be the normal walk-through day (a Friday normally) and not a practice as I assume both teams will get into the Benz that day for walk-throughs. I hope that makes sense.



The team began preparations and introduced Louisville on Wednesday. They've been in the stadium for a few days this week to help the players transition to the schedule of getting ready and getting to class without having to do the walk back and forth to Rose Bowl Field. They did 3-4 periods of scout work for Louisville plus free periods of good-on-good yesterday. It was a mixed Sunday/Tuesday type practice. They did some team run and blitz pickups, pass pro, 7v7 and situational football along with the intro to Louisville.

They are now in game week prep mode and he has been watching the structure of practice and how everything is running the last few days organizationally to hone in on how he wants things to go. They'll be back in their normal game week prep starting tomorrow with basically Tuesday practices on Friday and Saturday.

Key thanked the academic staff, professors and school for pushing back some classes so that the players can have a schedule where they can focus on football in the morning and then academics the rest of teh day without having to rush off to class. "That is a really big plus for us and that will be the route really moving forward so I'm really appreciative and grateful for them for it."

Key was asked how much toughness played a factor in the decision to name Haynes King the starter, "he is a tough kid. The quarterback position is about mental toughness and being able to put a bad play behind you and move on to the next play. Both of those guys (King/Pyron) have a truly high level of toughness both physical toughness and mental toughness and a lot of that went into the evaluation, but that was not something that set one over the other." He said King has the ability to move on to the next play and have adversity hit and walk up to the next play or the huddle and move on with a cool demeanor about him. He has to stay positive because everyone in the huddle feeds off that.

Key on Zach Pyron's response to King being named the starter for the Louisville game, "he was pissed. No different than anyone else would be and that is what I like and what I love about him. That is why we recruited him here and that is why Zach Pyron is going to be a great player. There is no question in my mind about that. When you are a competitor and you've given almost everything within the game of football to be at that spot to win that position, there is only one of them. There is only one position on the field and it is the most glorified position and also the most scrutinized position. He responded exactly how I expected him to respond. There is a fire in people's eyes when you look into it some people become emotional, some people become firey and that's him. I don't expect anything to change when it comes to the way Zach Pyron has prepared or Haynes King has prepared. Both of those guys are in the positon they are in right now because they pushed each other and I don't expect that to change one bit."

I asked about a starting five for the OL and if they plan to roll guys, he said in a perfect world you have five OLs and play every snap but that is next to impossible at that position during a season due to injuries. They also don't have a plan like the 6th OL is going to play the 3rd series or whatever, he wants the best five on the field and if 6 and 7 are close enough they can roll them in some during the game.

On how they are preparing for Louisville, they are looking what what Jeff Brohm did a Purdue and WKU offensively and the personnel as well as the specific film on the 26 transfers they brought in and the DCs film. Brohm has a system that works and has answers for everything you do defensively and he does a tremendous job with playcalling and tailors his system to his personnel. His scheme is diverse enough to respond to the personnel. He said they had to make a lot of cutups to prepare for it even looking at individual personnel.

On Louisville's OL, Key said their center is a stud (Bryan Hudson) and is one of three returning starters with Michael Gonzalez (a really good player) and Renato Brown (a really good player) and they brought in some size and experience around those three guys. He said having a returning center is huge for the offense like GT has in Weston Franklin and it makes it easier to build the pieces around that player.

Key was asked about Dominick Blaylock's role, he said he has been solid and they have 6-8 WRs they feel good about playing and rolling in there. They want to have six guys as the main rotation and they 7-8 guy need to be guys who can help on special teams as well as play some receiver. He said Blaylock is a solid all-around football player and they are excited to have him here. He brings a calmness to that room with his experience playing in big games and he is a major positive for those guys, he understands coverages and how to get open to secure the catch. He said not every WR has to run a 4.3 to be a great player and he thinks Dom will help them this year.

I asked about the return game, he said they have 3-4 punt returners they feel good about that can be effective doing that and 5-7 guys that they can roll as kick returners and it is a mix of older and younger guys. He said the biggest thing for him is securing the ball and being able to make returns when things are not perfect and that is what is going to separate that group out. He said he would love to break some kicks, but he also wants the ball back every time they get one so they have to value the ball and secure the possession for the team. Everything after that is a bonus.

On the RB room, Key said they have five guys they've worked with the ones and twos in preseason camp and the nature of that position is it won't be one guy all year. Even in the NFL that isn't possible so you want a stable of backs that can do different things and they feel like they have a mix of guys with different skillsets that can be beneficial at different points in a game. Key said ball security is a big factor on who will play and who won't in the backfield. Can they make a play in the passing game, make a man miss and be a matchup player for them, those are all factors. He said it will be RB by committee and the depth chart will likely say Donte Smith and then say and/or with a bunch of names.

I asked Key about the Edge/Rush end spot with Noah Collins, Kevin Harris and Kyle Kennard, Key said they've all had their opportunities with the one group and the second group is kind of like the RB room, they have a lot of guys. "Kevin Harris has had a really good camp. Kevin has shown flashes of a guy that can impact a football game. He is becoming more consistent doing it. I'm really proud of Kevin and excited about how he has come along." He said then you have Kyle Kennard and Noah Collins who are playing that rush spot. They feel like they have depth. He said that no one is going to play 70 plays and you don't want linemen playing 60 plays and being tired mentally or physically at key moments of the game and getting a late hit or jumping offsides or jumping into the wrong gap. He wants his DL mentally fresh and they are fortunate to have a lot of guys including some of the other DEs that can also move over to play that rush spot.

Key said Paul Moala has had a really good camp. He is experienced and is a level headed guy and has become a leader that impacts others around him not just with what he says but how he does things and how he goes about his business on and off the field. How he handles himself in the locker room and and how he handles himself on the field, he has had a very positive impact on guys especially Trenilyas Tatum. The communication between those two on the field and on the sideline has been great. He is durable and has played a lot of games at a good level and in different spots. He is good in coverage and understands his own strengths and weaknesses and that is important at that position because he can diagnosis plays, slip blocks and also front somebody up with their hands and get off a block to go make a play. He said there are a lot of guys who can run around and do things, but when you have a 320-pound guy running at your face what kind of decisions are you going to make and that is what he does well.

Key on Louisville's high sack total a year ago, they have good football players that can affect the QB and it is not just about sacks but also pressures and how many times the QB had to move off his spot, scramble or change things sending a ball where it wasn't supposed to go and they are good at that. They are now in a different scheme and it is a totally different type of football but he still expects them to be aggressive and they've got talented guys in the front that have the ability to get in the backfield and it will be a challenge. Key joked they are just going empty set all the time to offset the pass rush.

New documentary on HBO about Bishop Sycamore is wild. As opposed to the UF documentary this is definitely not a fluff piece. Tons of interviews with Roy Johnson, the head coach, where he basically admits to being a con man. Definitely worth a watch, but it is absolutely heartbreaking for the kids he scammed. Down to taking out PPP loans in the players name. Dude comes across as a complete psychopath.

$20M/10 years.

This is his top-8, surprised GT isn't on the list?
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A member of Brent Key and Georgia Tech’s 2023 class makes the cut.

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click here to listen 19 minutes

THE FLATS – The “Brent Key Coach’s Show, driven by Hyundai,” will make its 2023 debut on Wednesday, Aug. 30 from 6-7 p.m., live from New Realm Brewing Co. on the Atlanta BeltLine (550 Somerset Terrace NE, ATL 30306).



Georgia Tech football head coach Brent Key will join the “Voice of the Yellow Jackets” Andy Demetra for the hour-long show, which can be heard worldwide on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets app and locally on the flagship station of the Georgia Tech Sports Network from Legends Sports, 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan or XTRA 106.3 FM (shows will air on XTRA 106.3 when there are conflicts with 680 The Fan’s live coverage of Atlanta Braves baseball).



After making its 2023 debut on Wednesday, Aug. 30, the “Brent Key Coach’s Show” will move to Thursdays for the duration of the regular season. On Thursday, Sept. 7, the show will also air live from New Realm Brewing Co. from 6-7 p.m. All subsequent shows will originate from Key’s office inside Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field.



Live shows at New Realm Brewing Co. are open to the public and Tech fans are welcomed and encouraged to come out and show their support for Coach Key and the Yellow Jackets. New Realm features include its Georgia Tech-inspired beers, Helluvienna Lager and Ale of an Engineer.



New in 2023, the “Brent Key Coach’s Show” will be followed by an hour-long, Georgia Tech football talk show, “The Good Word.” Hosted by Chris Mooneyham and Wiley Ballard, “The Good Word” will take listeners in-depth on Yellow Jackets’ talk and analysis from 7-8 p.m. each week. “The Good Word” can be heard exclusively in the Atlanta area on 680 AM/93.7 The Fan or 106.3 XTRA and worldwide on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets app.






Following the first “Brent Key Coach’s Show Driven by Hyundai” of the season, game action returns to the Georgia Tech Sports Network from Legends Sports airwaves on Friday, Sept. 1 when the Yellow Jackets open the 2023 campaign against Atlantic Coast Conference rival Louisville in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Live radio coverage, which begins at 5:30 p.m. with kickoff at 7:30 p.m., can be heard worldwide on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets app, locally on 106.3 XTRA and on Georgia Tech Sports Network affiliates across Georgia.



The “Voice of the Yellow Jackets” Andy Demetra returns for his eighth season calling play-by-play for Georgia Tech football. He is joined in the booth by second-year analyst, Georgia Tech legend and College Football Hall-of-Famer Joe Hamilton. Chris Mooneyham is in his first full season as sideline report and will also serve as pregame show host alongside first-year co-host Justin Hanover.

Haynes King

Makius Scott