Just a reminder, Saturday is Isenhour Toy Drive.

Lets see…tomorrow night

Again, no surprise here. I’ve been hinting and mentioning this since Geoff/Mike departed the program.
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Saturday is the Michael Isenhour Toy Drive. Benefits ATL Children’s Shelter. Unwrapped toy donation at gates.

I cannot confirm or deny what it really means, but both Elijah Douglas and Ja’Vin Simpkins have dropped everything GT related from their social media bios.

Simpkins is pushing hard for Michigan State to take him, and if they do it may be a straight flip.

Douglas may need to go somewhere and re-emerge on the P5 landscape in a couple of years, or go somewhere that may fit his style in a better way. Somewhere he can grade well with his performances, I guess you could say?

Either way, I do not expect either of them to be in the class, but still wanted to pass this along.

Funny stuff from Nate Bargatze:

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Here are a few gifs i decided to breakdown to give an idea of what happened on field vs. FSU. These are used to give others a different perspective on how to watch football. I don’t do this to disparage players or coaches, but to give insight to GT enthusiast on what I’ve learned as a player and avid football fan.

Being playmakers on both sides of the ball is what won us this game. Still critical errors but we found a way to win


Congrats to Charlie Thomas on earning a spot on the EastWest Shrine team. The biggest improvement is CT is using his hands more and not staying blocked long. Watch CT swat the guards hands away and closes in on the QB for the sack



One of the pluses from CCL this year is running gun empty. Running empty declares the defense man or zone and makes the read quicker. Pyron recognizes it is man coverage with no safety deep. Good job by Carter with his release off the line getting inside. The ref makes this throw harder then it needs to be. McCollum beat his man on the slant so bad that he almost speed turned into an INT. McCollum might’ve scored if the ball went to him


If given time, both Pyron and Sims have shown they can deliver and be accurate down field. One of the better pockets by the OL


Sorta like Clemson where the play was there, but the defense just makes a better play and blows it up. I thought Pyron might’ve could’ve shoveled it sooner but we gotta block better on the interior



Absolute tone setter here and what you want to see from your defense. KJ Defeats being held and absolutely stones the ball carrier

CPL is the force guy and cannot allow anything outside of him. He needs to split that TE in half and keep his outside arm free. With all that being said, this is an egregious hold and needs to be called. That’s a bear hug


This play is something we are going to have to adjust to better. If that motion is going to create 5v5 for the QB run will continue to get gashed by this play in the coming weeks



Slobber knocker. Head across the chest, face mask looking at the ball and bringing your pads & hips to tackle thru a defender. Just get the head up to not even give the impression of targeting


We hear about the communication improvement and lack of bust in the defense and this is a great illustration of why. 1) the defense shows 6 rushers in effort to keep the RB in the backfield blocking. This gives us an 6 DBs for 4 routes 2) the 2 bottom DBs can now inside/out on the WR.
He drags and his picked by the nickel. This allows the CB to now act as robber to pick up any crossers coming over the field. Now someone attack the ball and make the pick


You win some, you lose. On this zone blitz, White doesn’t get his head on a swivel misses the drag coming across. Also doesn’t help that the CB slipped


Freshman mistake here. This ball should come out immediately as he turns for an easy 1st down. Being indecisive almost cost us here


Again, the lack of depth at key spots hurt us again. This is where losing an Ivey & Domineck & not having a full stable of LBs hurt bc you have to use bigger guys on these teams. Jason Moore has to remain outside the hashes/inside the numbers . He gets caught in the middle of the field and loses containment. This has Happened twice and led to TDs both times


We go empty again and good things happen. Pyron reads the 2 man coverage. Good job by Nate getting across the face of the defender and with it being man, all of the underneath coverage is running with receivers downfield. Not sure many are catching Nate in a foot race


one of my pet peeves with our OL is they stand around looking for people to block instead of just getting a hat on a defender. Not this time, probably our best blocked run play the entire game and it came in a clutch moment


Defining moment run here but also stupid defense by VT. VT is running Tampa 2 but for some reason the deep dropping LB and underneath LB both cross each other & drop near the right hash which creates just enough space up the middle for Pyron game Winning run


If you’re going to run a trick play, please don’t tip it off like this. Running under center puts the defense under high alert. Hopefully we keep it on the jet sweep next we do this since the defense was ready for this

TECH WINS!!! TECH WINS!!!

Hope this isn't too bad. Goodnight from McCammish Pavilion.

Sorry for the delay, church group lasted longer than normal.

I’ll go until 10:37

GT vs VT 2022 Full Game


Not sure how long it will be up. lol

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech women’s basketball head coach Nell Fortner announced the signing of four Yellow Jackets on National Signing Day. The signing class features an international flair with three international recruits.

“I cannot be more pleased and excited about this year’s signing class,” commented Fortner. “We have filled important needs with high level players and are continuing to keep our international pipeline flowing with three players that have played at a very high level for their countries’ National Team programs. We have some key figures to replace inside and we’ve addressed those issues with this signing class and we’re excited about it.”

Rusne Augustinaite – 6-0, Shooting Guard (Šiauliai, Lithuania/Montverde Academy (Fla.))
A strong contributor to the Lituanian National Team, Augustinaite helped her home country capture the 2022 U18 Women’s European Championship in Greece in August. Competing against Spain in the finals, the future Yellow Jacket earned the start, played 25 minutes and finished with five points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal. During the tournament, she averaged 25.6 minutes, 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in seven games, scoring a personal-high 21 points against Hungary and a team-high 18 points against Sweden. No stranger to international success, Augustinaite helped guide Lithuania to a runner-up finish in the 2019 U16 Women’s European Championship. She averaged 24.3 minutes, 6.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in the tournament, scoring a personal-best 14 points against Denmark.

In addition to her National Team success, Augustinaite helped Montverde Academy to its first-ever GEICO High School Nationals championship in April 2022. An honor roll student, Augustinaite was also tabbed most valuable player with her U14 team and was the country’s highest scorer in 2018 and 2019. She chose Georgia Tech because of the prestigious institution, basketball program and location.

“Rusne brings a strong three-point shot, excellent handles and is highly competitive,” said Fortner. “Her work ethic will help her reach her potential quickly at Georgia Tech. She has had tremendous success with her Lithuanian National Team, most recently helping her country to the European Championships this past August.”

Jada Bediako – 6-3, Post (Brampton, Ontario/Southwest Academy)
Listing her most memorable athletic accomplishment as earning a place on the Canadian National Team, Bediako was a member of the 2022 U17 Canadian Team that finished fourth in the U17 World Cup. She was also a member of the 2021 U16 Canadian Team that placed second at FIBA Americas. She averaged 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. In the semifinals game against Argentina, Bediako notched 14 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes. She also recorded double-figures against Puerto Rico, logging 13 points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes. Bediako played AAU basketball with Kia Nurse EYBL. Currently this season at Southwest Academy, she is averaging 17.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

A basketball family, Bediako has two brothers that play collegiate basketball at the University of Santa Clara and University of Alabama. She chose Georgia Tech because of the coaching staff, team dynamic and program history.

“Jada also brings high level international experience, helping her Canadian U17 team to the bronze medal game in Hungary this past summer,” noted Fortner. “She has great size and a tremendous upside that will be fun for everyone to watch as she comes into her own as an ACC post player.”

Ariadna Termis Casas – 6-6, C (Zaragoza, Spain/IES Joaquim Blume Barcelona)
Bringing a wealth of international playing experience, Termis Casas helped Spain win silver at the 2022 U17 World Cup. She logged 17 minutes in the final against the United States, posting three rebounds, two blocks and two points. In the seven games of the tournament, Termis Casas averaged 20.0 minutes, 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 points and 1.0 assists per game. She secured eight rebounds and six points against Mali in the round of 16 and seven rebounds against Korea.

At the U18 Women’s European Championship in August, Termis Casas guided Spain to a runner-up finish against Lithuania and future teammate Augustinaite. Termis Casas came off the bench in the championship to finish with seven rebounds, four points and one assist. In the tournament, she averaged 20.2 minutes, 5.0 points. 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists. She posted a stellar stat-line against France in the semifinals, securing 12 rebounds, four assists two steals, two blocks and three points.

Termis Casas has played the 2021 and 2022 seasons with her club program, Segle XXI, helping the team to LF 2 championship. She also won gold with Spain at the 2021 European Challenger and third place with Aragón at the National Basketball Championship. Off the court, she participated in the virtual NBA Academy during summer 2021 and Basketball Without Borders in 2022.

“Ari brings size and speed at her position, and an excellent shot with range,” said Fortner. “She is a rim protector who will be a nuisance for our opponents during her career at Georgia Tech. She helped lead her U18 Spanish National Team to a second-place finish in the European Championship with current Georgia Tech freshman Inés Noguero. To have three young women [Rusne Augustinaite] who competed against each other this past summer for a championship is amazing and exciting for our future.”

D’Asia Thomas – 6-2, Small Forward/Wing (Katy, Texas/Houston Christian)
A multi-sport athlete at Houston Christian competing in basketball and volleyball, Thomas helped the Mustangs to a 2021-22 women’s basketball state championship. After a successful 2021-22 season, Thomas was named co-MVP, all-Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) and all-region. She was also tabbed MVP in 2020-21, as well as all-SPC and first team all-state. The Texas native was also a member of the Cy Fair Nike EYBL team which won the Nike Nationals Girls EYBL Tournament this past July. As someone who has shown to be a leader on and off the court, Thomas is a member of the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders, a youth leadership council comprised of 18 high school basketball players from across the United States.

Ranked No. 87 nationally by Dan Olson and No. 12 in the state of Texas according to Jason Key of Premier Basketball, Thomas chose Georgia Tech because of the athletics program, strong education and atmosphere.

“D’Asia is a versatile forward that brings size to several positions she can play on the floor,” commented Fortner. “Her upside is phenomenal. We look forward to working with her every day to continue to add to the versatility that we have at Georgia Tech, which lends to the style we want to play here year in and year out.”

What They’re Saying About Georgia Tech’s Recruiting Class
“Georgia Tech continues to solidify their position as a top destination for top international talent. Nell Fortner and her staff have added three top talents in Jada, Ari and Rusne - who will all bring three unique skill sets to Atlanta with big-time global experience on the biggest stages. They’ve added two promising post players with great size capable of playing together and impacting the game greatly on both ends of the floor- continuing the trend of size and dominance in the paint in Jada and Ari. Rusne is a skilled sharpshooter and scorer who will undoubtedly stretch the defense for years to come. I expect this class to jump in and make an immediate impact for Yellow Jackets.” – Rachel Galligan, Founder of GoGlobal Recruiting

“D’Asia Thomas is an extremely skilled forward with a huge upside. Thomas’s versatility on both ends of the floor will allow her to become an impact player in head coach Nell Fortner’s system. Thomas is rated as a 4-star prospect by Premier Basketball.” – Jason Key, Premier Basketball

Strong updates his overall recruiting sharing his relationship with Georgia Tech ahead of visiting this weekend:

ATLANTA- Georgia Tech football continued preparations for Virginia Tech on Wednesday with a long practice in Bobby Dodd Stadium. After practice wide receiver Malachi Carter, offensive lineman Joe Fusile and linebacker Charlie Thomas spoke with the media.

Carter will break the school record for games played on Saturday at Virginia Tech with his 55th game played as a Yellow Jacket passing a quartet of former Yellow Jackets Jamal Golden, Rod Sweeting, Jemea Thomas and T.J. Barnes who he is currently tied with. Carter has also been an ironman for Tech playing in all 52 of his first 52 possible games on the Flats from 2018 until the Duke game this season when he was sidelined with an injury.

"Andy (Demetra) let me know that I had a couple of more games and I could try and break it," Carter said of the record. "Once the season starts, I kind of forgot about it. I guess this past game I tied it which is cool, but my focus has been on helping the team win and we haven't had the best season going so far so I'm just concerned how can we get a win and stepping up to make plays. It is cool that I'll break the record this week, but a win would be a much better situation and that is the ultimate goal."

Missing the Duke game was one of the most difficult things for Carter in his career on the Flats.

"Missing that Duke game killed me. I mean we won and that was the best thing about it. I'm on ESPN just refreshing and refreshing because I couldn't get the game on TV and the last five minutes I about had a heart attack. Once the game started it really hit me that I shouldn't be at home, but it was an injury and I wasn't legally allowed to play so I had to stay home and cheer the guys on from the couch," Carter said.

Carter is four yards shy of tying Gary Lee for 15th on the all-time receiving yards list at 1,299. Lee is the father of current Tech starting free safety Clayton Powell-Lee.

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Carter talked about the 2018 game at VaTech when the Jackets led by backup quarterback Tobias Oliver and then back up B-back Jordan Mason upset the Hokies. He said it was rocking and he couldn't hear himself talk when he went on the field that day. He said he still has clips of him blocking in that game on his phone because he did a good job with it and he had to play a lot because of some injuries at WR that week even though he was just a freshman. He said he stuck his head in there blocking against some big DLs and LBs and made some key blocks.

Carter said it has been big to see the offense start to turn the corner with Zach Pyron moving the ball when Jeff Sims was out. He said there are always doubts when the starting QB goes down, but Pyron was fearless with guys in his face making plays and he stiff-armed a guy and then was running through tackles too and that gets the team fired up when the QB does stuff like that. They feel like they will be good with Pyron if Jeff can't go.

Carter said some of the older players like himself and EJ Jenkins have talked to the younger guys about their time running low and trying to make the most of the remaining games and to keep them motivated as well. He said he tries to remind the younger guys that it is fleeting. He said he is trying to remind himself to soak all of it in too these moments because his career is almost over in college.

Carter said he has enjoyed having Coach Key running the show and he said that Key reminds them of what their potential is and makes them work hard every day to do the things they need to do to win. He said he is good at getting them ready for the games and he is an intense guy and he has instilled that in the team in his brief time as the HC. They love his energy, focus and love for the game and being an alum, you can see how much he cares about GT and how much he wants to win. He said that Key feels like they deserve to win and they love playing for him.

Joe Fusile talked about the Burlsworth Trophy (for the top former walk-on in the country) that he is nominated for and his role as a contributor and path to becoming a starter at GT.

Fusile said during fall camp he started to realize he wasn't going to just be on scout team like last year and he could have a positive impact on the team.

Fusile said the Clemson game he was very nervous at first and then the crowd disappeared after the first snap and you are back in the game. He said that nervous feeling has started to dim as the season has worn on.

I asked Fusile why he passed on scholarship offers to come to GT as walk-on, "I wanted to be an engineer and I wanted to play D-1 football and I lived in Georgia so my sophomore year I decided I was going to Georgia Tech whether they wanted me or not and it looks like it worked out for me," he said.

He said he had offers from places like Stetson and Davidson and Morehead State plus serious interest from Wake Forest, but he was determined to go to GT.

Fusile said it has been fun watching Coach Key's practices evolve as he has taken control of the team and how hard-nosed they've been. He said there is a lot more good-on-good in practice and Key is very old-fashioned as a coach.

Fusile said that his story is just about taking advantage of opportunities and he heeded advice from Coach Lew who told him if you want to get on the field what you do in the weight room will create those opportunities and also doing the right thing when the opportunity arises.

I asked him about his relationship with Will Lay and seeing the path that Sean Bedford set for GT, he said that Will leads by example and is the smartest football player he has ever seen and that is how Lay created his opportunity to play. Lay gives 100% effort every play. He said he is not super familiar with Sean's story but he won the first Burlsworth Trophy and that Georgia Tech is a special place where people like Sean, Will or himself can create these types of opportunities.

Fusile said that Nathan Brock has done a great job extending what coach Key was teaching them and he is mainly responsible right now for coaching the OL.

I asked Fusile about DT Jason Moore who is another walk-on having a tremendous season and Fusile said Moore is his favorite person on the team and he switched from OL to DL and seeing his evolution as a player has been special. He said that Moore is probably the strongest player on the team in the weight room and watching and working against him every day is a real highlight and he enjoys getting to play next to him on the punt shield.

Charlie Thomas talked about getting knocked down by the ref last week against FSU, he laughed and said that really caught him off-guard as he was trying to position himself against a receiver.

Thomas said that FSU is a good offensive team and they've got good backs and make plays and they had missed tackles and they've got to play with leverage and squeeze a little more too on tackles.

Thomas said they played well on D against FSU on first and second down, but third down they maybe lost the sticks or let a guy get by them and didn't take advantage of some opportunities to stop FSU in the game that cost them.

Thomas said the 2018 game at VT was a favorite, he said it was back and forth until VT muffed a punt and then they started rolling and Tobias and JP Mason set the rushing record in that game for combined yards and it was a big game for him too because he got to start at OLB.

On the VT QB Grant Wells, he likes to improvise and make plays with his feet and they want to keep him in the pocket and not let him get yards on QB scrambles and designed runs.

Thomas said he is definitely trying to make the most of these final college games and he said even though they are still young, he feels like an older person now and he is telling the younger players to stay in the game and keep pushing so they can finish the season strong. He said he feels like the team still has a lot to play for and they want to finish the season strong.

This year’s football schedule was one for the ages. Of our 5 current losses, 4 of the teams are currently ranked in the CFB Top 25 (Clemson, Ole Miss, UCF and FSU). 2 of the remaining 3 are ranked, including uga at 1 (UNC is 15). UVA is the outlier loss and we all would like to have that one back.

So, as a prospective HC, what do you think of the situation that you’re walking in to?

Surely next year’s schedule can’t be that extreme - thus one would expect to come in and show immediate improvement in W/Ls. Am I getting a team that is awful or am I stepping into a situation where I can stack some W’s and build program momentum? I know for sure I’d be glad I’m not working for the unfortunate fool that constructed the impossible 2022 schedule.

As a side note, I’m happy the schedule is what it was/is. It exposes GC as being way out of his depth and allows us to move forward.

Go Jackets!

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This was done in chronological order.

1. Nov 9, 2012 MBB debut sellout beating Tulane 79-61
2. Nov 11, 2012 WBB debut and set attendance record hosting Tennessee
3. Feb 6, 2014 WBB beat first ranked opponent UNC 94-91
4. March 19, 2015 WBB play first postseason game at the venue beating Elon 69-47 in NIT
5. Jan 9, 2016 MBB gets highest ranked win at the venue 68-64 v. No. 4 Virginia
6. March 16, 2016 MBB play first postseason game since 2010, beating Houston 81-62 in NIT
7. Feb 12, 2020 MBB leads No. 5 Louisville start to finish winning 64-58
8. March 2, 2021 MBB defeats Duke for first time since 2010, winning in overtime 81-77
9. Dec 9, 2022 WBB blows out No. 3 UConn 57-44
10. Oct 9, 2022 No 10 ranked Volleyball plays inaugural game at the arena v No 9 Pittsburgh

You can see with the chronology that programs are slowly improving over the 10 years there from where it started. You can also see with the chronology instead of going with a Top 10 wins list for MBB and one for WBB that there is not that deep of a list to pick from and the new digs probably have not been as big as it should for recruiting or attendance either, so hopefully all of the above can happen with the Battman.

What he’s done is impressive as hell no matter the coach you joking for. The adversity he’s faced along with the situation he’s inherited deserves recognition and acknowledgment.

One and especially two more win & he definitely should be in consideration for removing the interim tag.

ATLANTA- Georgia Tech football under interim head coach Brent Key continued team preparations for the Miami game on Tuesday with a long practice session on the practice fields. After practice ended, Key spoke to the media about the state of his program heading into a key ACC Coastal game with Miami in the home finale of the 2022 season. Both the Canes and the Yellow Jackets sit at 4-5 on the season, but the Jackets are 3-3 in ACC play putting the team in third place in the division while Miami sits at 2-3 in league action.

Key said his team enjoyed the comeback win at Virginia Tech, but the players are aware of how dangerous and talented Miami's team is.

"We got back on Sunday to correct what we had to correct and enjoy it and then we had to move on and get ready to play a really good Miami football team," Key said. "It is on to the next one now and cannot have any sort of mental hangover from last week's game in the Miami game. They are really good and a really talented football team."

One area where Key wants to see improvement is red zone offense. The Jackets have scored just nine touchdowns in 31 red zone attempts this season while converting 12 field goals for a net loss of a possible 48 points assuming made PAT conversions. Tech ranks 129th in the country this season in red zone conversions at just 67.74% for last place in the P5. Overall the offense is 124th in scoring in the country as well above just three P5 teams, Iowa, Northwestern and Colorado.

Key spoke about the process of looking at the red zone offense.

"The easy thing to say after the game is over is why did you make that call? I would have made this call and you can't live in a world like that," Key said. "We look at why did we stall out here. We look over the course of the last three or four games at what the most common occurrences are and how do you fix it or change it. Those are really the options. This is the plan once we get down there."

Key said the Jackets worked on red zone and third down offense during Tuesday's practice and that will be a focus on practice on Wednesday as well.

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Key said he was proud of the outcome on Saturday and the way the team overcame adversity as well. They played the full 60 minutes regardless of the score and rallied as a team overcoming some bad things that happened in the game to keep fighting.

Key talked a lot about the process and how they have to keep focused on that piece of it and the wear and tear on bodies at this point in the season and working with load management and practice management just like the NFL does. They have to be smart in practice about how they work and the kids are still students at Georgia Tech and that is demanding as well mentally. He said it takes a lot of mental toughness to flip that switch from practice periods and then do everything else they have to do in the week as well. He said the team did a good job of managing all of that last week.

Key said that guys like Dylan Leonard, Pierce Quick, Jeff Sims and Paula Vaipulu were all out at practice today who missed the VT game. He said that the flu bug is still going around and guys are wearing masks at times and other things like that to mitigate the spread of it within the team inside the facilities. Key said there have been a lot of B-12 vitamins and hand sanitizer being used in the facilities with the bug going around.

Key on the OL situation said they are still working to get the best 5 on the field and Jakiah Leftwich has been playing really hard and he is physically and mentally tough, but he is still learning the game and learning from his mistakes in the game. He is understanding his corrections and he does a good job of picking up on that for a younger player. He said he is proud of how he played against VT in his first extended action of his career at RT.

Key was asked what happens when Jeff Sims is ready to go full speed and healthy with Zach Pyron, Key went into a routine about using two QBs like the slot option plays with Nate McCollum instead with Jeff and Zach or double passes or even other things. He then said they will make those decisions when it comes time to make that call.


Key said that Saturday will be emotional with it being SR Day and the final game in Bobby Dodd Stadium for multiple SAs, but he said when he was playing he was just ready to run back into the locker room and be with his teammates on that day and get ready for the game and that he hopes the parents shoulder the emotion because it is an emotional moment, but you have to keep your emotions in check when you play football and that is on his mind with SR Day this week.

Key talked about the punt coverage and he said that Shanahan was booting the ball well, the issue was mostly guys trying to get their hit in and getting caught upfield if they missed and going too far upfield instead of just trying to tackle the return man or get a hand on him while help arrived. He went into a long explanation of what happens, you can listen to the audio or watch the video later on it.

D'Quan Douse


Zamari Walton


Jordan Williams

D'Quan Douse


Zamari Walton


Jordan Williams

USAToday has GT playing ECU in the Military Bowl on Dec. 28th.

They usually get the teams right and have a better understanding of matchups than the guy at the Sporting News who said GT would rematch with UCF because he was probably didn't know they already played this year and bowls never want rematch games unless it is a playoff game.

Jose Alvarado via the company BlueChip is sponsoring a lot of basketball content this season. You can check out his collection of shirts by clicking on the pic below

And I’m trying to be funny, but…
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkuULoIgUQq/?igshid=NDc0ODY0MjQ=