ATLANTA — Brent Key knows it is possible for Georgia Tech to beat Georgia in football. He has a Governor’s Cup Trophy in his office as a reminder and, he hopes, as motivation for his players.
Key, in his first full season as Georgia Tech’s head coach, played offensive guard as the Yellow Jackets won state bragging rights by beating Georgia three straight years from 1998 to 2000.
“I want guys to see that to know what that is,” Key said Tuesday of the trophy. “I want them to understand the importance of this game. It’s not just another game.”
The problem for Key’s Yellow Jackets is No. 1 Georgia has won the last five games against Tech and 18 of 21 series meetings since his playing days entering Saturday night’s game in Atlanta. The Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference have outscored the Jackets of the Atlantic Coast Conference 134-21 the last three years, including a 45-0 rout in 2021 and a 37-14 win last season before winning back-to-back national championships.
While state bragging rights have become routine for the Bulldogs (11-0), no current Tech player has experienced the success Key remembers.