David Pollack Reveals Why Brent Key, Georgia Tech Football Are the Real Deal

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets shocked the nation after upsetting the Florida State Seminoles in their Week Zero matchup in Dublin, Ireland. Head coach Brent Key had his team playing their best to pull off the 24-21 upset.

However, this Yellow Jackets team might not be a one-and-done squad this season. ESPN's David Pollack believes Georgia Tech is a team to watch out for this season. During Pollack's new YouTube channel, the popular sports analyst reveals why he loves Georgia Tech football this year.

When it comes down to it, Pollack is a huge fan of Key. The Georgia Tech program handed the reigns to Key in late 2022. Since then, the Yellow Jackets have vastly improved the roster and coaching staff.

Pollack calls offensive coordinator, Buster Faulkner, a "top-10 play caller in all of college football." However, it's defensive coordinator, Tyler Santucci, that's caught Pollack's eye.

"I knew about Buster Faulkner, I knew he was a superstar. But Tyler Santucci on the other side, the DC, they bring him over from Duke, he's in the Mike Elko tree, that's the biggest difference to me with Georgia Tech."

Georgia Tech had one of, if not, the worst defense in the nation last season. Santucci is now in charge of the defensive unit and the Yellow Jackets played extremely well defensively against Florida State. Couple that with a high-powered run game and you have yourself solid college football team.

During their game against the Seminoles, Georgia Tech's defense proved to be a problem. They held Florida State quarterback, DJ Uiagalelei, to just 193 passing yards with zero touchdowns. Additionally, Florida State failed to hit the 100-yard mark when rushing the ball, finishing with just 98 yards on the day.

There's a chance Florida State is just off to a slow start to begin the season. But it's hard not to notice how much Santucci has improved Georgia Tech's defense. Not only did they slow down the Seminoles' offense but the Yellow Jackets forced their opponent to go 5-12 on third downs and average a measly 5.0 yards per play.

So, perhaps Georgia Tech can emerge as a top contender in the ACC. But Key's team will have to prove their worth throughout the season. They have plenty of matchups where they'll likely be viewed as underdogs (Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami). On top of that, there aren't many "gimmie" games either, as Georgia Tech also plays against Syracuse, Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, and Virginia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets next game takes place in Week 1 as they face off against the Georgia State panthers. That's a nice matchup for Key and his team as it provides an opportunity for Georgia Tech to build confidence before taking on the Syracuse Orange in Week 2.

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