Georgia football, Kirby Smart live rent-free in GA Tech HC Brent Key's mind

When Brent Key became head coach for Georgia Tech in 2022, he made it a mission to beat Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs. 

Unfortunately, he has yet to achieve that goal, leaving the Bulldogs living rent-free in his mind. 

“There’s nothing I hate more in the world. It’s probably the only thing I hate,” Key said about Georgia in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “When I say hate, like, truly despise everything about it. I really do.”

Key's hatred for the Bulldogs dates back to when he was a player at Georgia Tech from 1997 to 2000. Around the same time, Kirby played for the Bulldogs from 1995 to 1998. Key and the Yellow Jackets were the dominant Peach State team back then and secured three victories over the Dawgs. 

As a coach, however, things have looked different. 

In his first meeting against the Bulldogs, Key's Yellow Jackets were blown away, 37-14. His team stepped things up in 2023 and had a chance to tie the game before ultimately losing by less than two touchdowns, 31-23. 

"Three minutes and 31 seconds with three timeouts left, we’re down by eight,” Key said. “Muff the onside kick, get [Georgia] to third-and-3, they run a toss sweep out of the bunch formation to the boundary. [Linebacker] Kyle Efford is about two inches away from making the tackle.

“I think about it every day. [Efford] thinks about it every day. We talk about it every day.”

Key and his Yellow Jackets will get another shot at redemption against the Bulldogs in their annual "Clean Old, Fashioned Hate" game, which kicks off in primetime on November 29. 

Until then, Kirby Smart and Georgia football will keep Brent Key up at night.