Georgia football Kirby Smart live rent free on the mind of GA Tech HC Brent Key

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

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

“There is nothing I hate more in the world. That’s probably the one thing I hate,” Key said of Georgia in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “When I say I hate, I really despise everything about it. I really.”

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 Peach State’s dominant team at the time and provided three wins over the Dawgs.

As a coach, however, things looked different.

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

“Three minutes and 31 seconds with three breaks left, we’re down eight,” Key said. “Muff the punt, (Georgia) goes on third-and-3, they run a layup to 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 chance at redemption against the Bulldogs in their annual “Clean Old, Fashioned Hate” game, which begins in primetime on Nov. 29.

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