When the game enter the fourth quarter, this Georgia Tech team turns on its ‘beast’ mode. It’s almost like the players are toying with their opponent, giving them hope and snatching wins just in time. We saw Haynes King and co doing it against Clemson, and most recently against Duke and Wake Forest. What’s the harm, you ask? In an ideal scenario, there isn’t. But for the 47-year-old Brent Key, it comes with waves of anxiety on the sideline.

Georgia Tech trailed 13-14 against Clemson when the third quarter ended. Not many had expected the Yellow Jackets to win, considering the preseason hype Clemson had. But come the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech executed a flawless 90-yard touchdown drive and didn’t look back. And it’s not without some showboating either. That 27-yard pass by King to Jamal Haynes in that drive showed exactly that. Moreover, the same approach continued in other games too. But if you ask Brent Key, he isn’t a fan of it.

“I think they like getting into the fourth quarter and being behind, or it being a close game. It’s almost like, ‘Haha, coach, we did it, we showed you.’ I’m gonna have an anxiety attack on the sideline someday. It’s like they’re toying with me and my emotions right now,” said Key in a recent press conference ahead of the Syracuse game. The scenario surely has played more times than one can anticipate.

Despite being favorites against Duke, Georgia Tech was 10-10 at the third quarter. No one could fault Brent Key for being worried, since losing the game would mean a major blow to their ACC title hopes. But what did the team do? Jamal Haynes and Haynes King together pulled off an incredible 89-yard field goal drive starting in the fourth quarter. Moreover, it was also not without some showboating.

It also included a 30-yard screamer from Haynes King on third down, and a solid running game initially in the drive by Jamal Haynes. The team then pulled off another 72-yard touchdown drive and sealed the game for good. But that’s not the end, since against Wake Forest, King and co. drove the game to overtime. But it could have cost them also, since the team won narrowly (30-29) only after Wake Forest failed to execute their 2-point conversion in overtime. That might be the reason why Brent Key remains cautious for the Syracuse game.

Syracuse game upset possibility looms over Brent Key’s head

Georgia Tech faces Syracuse this week on October 25th and is expected to easily win the game. For one, Syracuse has found it hard to win games after Steve Angeli’s injury. But also, because Angeli’s replacement in Rickie Collins hasn’t lived up to expectations. Not to mention, the Orange are coming off three straight losses. Despite all this optimism, it seems like head coach Brent Key still fears the team, given Georgia Tech’s tendency to leave the game for the fourth quarter.

“This is a good football team…You can’t look at the record. They’ve had some misfortune with injuries on both sides of the football to very key players. That’s a tough situation to be in,” said Brent Key. Syracuse undoubtedly has already lost playoff hopes, and all it remains is for them to qualify for a bowl game.

Losing to Georgia Tech would mean Syracuse would still have to win a game against Miami or Notre Dame, which looks highly unlikely. The Irish, after faltering against Texas A&M and Miami, are on a winning streak. Whereas the Hurricanes are ranked 9th in the AP poll and have a high probability of making the playoffs this year. Moreover, both games are also on the road, complicating things. Surely then, we can expect Syracuse to give its everything they got to win against Georgia Tech in the upcoming game.