Georgia
Everything From Brent Key After Georgia Tech’s 48-36 Loss to NC State
Georgia Tech is undefeated no more.
The Yellow Jackets took their first loss of the season tonight when they dropped a 48-36 shootout to NC State. Georgia Tech could not find a way to get a stop, giving up nearly 600 yards of offense in the loss.
After the game, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say:
“Congrats to a well -played game by Dave and his team. They lined up and physically kicked our ass in a lot of ways. It is what it is. That’s on me, right? I’ll take responsibility for it, right? We’re going into a bye-week this week, and we’ve got work to do. We have three games remaining, and everything that we have wanted to do is still in front of us. It’s our choice and our decision, right, how we respond to this outcome.”
“Yeah, I mean, I could say a lot of things right now. But at the end of the day, like I said, we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ve got to get corrected. Yeah, I mean, we’ve got to be able to take something away. You know, and, you know, I mean, they had, what, 200, you know, when Duke Scott had a great game, 243, yeah. So we weren’t taking the run away, you know, The noticeable thing, you know, there were a lot of hidden yardage in there that two yards, five yards, four yards that were, you know, missed tackles, you know, getting knocked back. But then, like I said, we’ve got to improve, and we will. I won’t make the excuses.”
“No, look, you know, it’s, first off, I don’t know if we put enough gas in the gas tank. I mean, that was, if you want to talk about that, but no, it’s, uh, there’s no excuses, Chad. There’s not. We have guys, you know, whether if the guys down, someone else has to step up and then they have to make plays. And, uh, well, you got to finish blocks. You got to, uh, you got to get off blocks. You got to run. You got to catch. All in all, uh, you don’t, uh, you don’t, you don’t have to so all in all, you don’t win with one phase of the game. You don’t lose with one phase of the game. When you win and you play complimentary football, same thing here. I mean, all three phases, we’ve got to improve. We’ve got to correct mistakes, and then we’ve got to.”
“Yeah, I mean, they scored. So obviously it was the execution, but it was really flipped. I mean, we weren’t consistent enough in the red zone. We had, you get the ball down to the one -yard line. You got to go to put it in offensively. You know, and those mistakes were self -defeating mistakes. So then on the defensive We, you know, they, they push us around, right? And that’s why I said, we got our butts kicked and that’s what you look at. And they’re able to run it in like that, down in their type, you know, or a, you know, second and seven to third and four to first down, you know, those types of plays, you know, we’ve got to do a lot better job. I’ve got to do a lot better job. All right?”
“Yeah, I mean, obviously, when you come off the field after a loss, I mean, no one’s happy. And he’s dejected as anybody. But I looked at the, you know, statistically what he did. I mean, statistically had a good game. But Haynes King doesn’t care about that. Haynes King, he’s a winner, he wants to win.”
“You know, we’re sitting in there wanting to take the clock down, right? And, you know, we’re getting that long situation. And then we get a sack right there, right? Yeah, it was a sack. Had a sack, got a little of it back, got in the field goal range for a long field goal. Missed field goal left a minute and the clock. Yeah, I mean, you know, middle eight was factors.”
“Yeah, he got banged up. I don’t know the status I’ll know after the game. Or when we get back in there.”
“Yeah, we’re always looking at what we’re not doing well, what can be better, and looking to be a better version of ourselves the next week. And we didn’t do that this week. We’ve got a bye week to do that to improve. And every area of the program, you know, that’s looked at every Sunday. That’s no different than what we would normally do and that I would normally do”
“yeah it was 8:25 left, yeah it’s 8:25 left that’s you know was, Yeah, you’re in a two score game. You got a, if you go for it, what do we end up on the minus? Yeah, we got like five yards. We got a minus one on the first play, and then I think we got six yard gain, five or six yard gain on it. On the third down play, you know, if you go for it and don’t get it, now you’re really, it’s out of control. Punt it back. You got all three timeouts. You don’t start using the timeouts until you know you’re five minutes and you know if we get a stop there, a chance to get the ball back. But you got it. I would not, I don’t second guess that one bit. Not one bit. You know, and look, there’s a lot of it. When you make those decisions too, or how you’re moving the football, you know, and going in waves with how you’re moving it. And right then we had a couple pressures on the two, on the second, the third down play.”
Don’t sleep on the Yellow Jackets heading into the 2026 season.
They have several big games in conference play against some of the conference’s elite. As they have shown us before, they are no stranger to pulling off big-time victories and shocking the college football world, especially as an underdog. Let’s talk about three reasons why the Yellow Jackets can beat the ACC elite this upcoming season.
1. They’ve Done It Before
Georgia Tech is no stranger to beating top ACC teams in the Brent Key era. They have done it consistently, multiple times. There are a myriad of examples to point to. You can go to the North Carolina game back in 2023, played in primetime on the Flats.
The Yellow Jackets defeated top pick and now New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in a 46-42 victory. You can go back to the 2024 season in Ireland when the Yellow Jackets upset then No.10 Florida State 24-21. In that same year, Georgia Tech knocked off future No.1 overall pick Cam Ward and the No.4 Miami Hurricanes, handing them their first loss of the season in a 28-23.
There are many other examples I can point to illustrate this point, but you can see the Yellow Jackets never back down and come to play when it matters most against the elite teams in the conference. They have done it with a good offense and an opportunistic defense. With Louisville, Clemson, and Virginia Tech on the schedule, they should be primed to do it again in 2026.
2. Georgia Tech Has An Identity
It is pretty simple: under head coach Brent Key, this Yellow Jackets team has an identity and a culture that sets it apart. They want to play physical, smash-mouth football and dominate you in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Coach Key has meant what he said this offseason about getting more size and girth, but also having offensive linemen who can move. It was one of the reasons why they were aggressive in the portal and one of the reasons why they are having success with the 2027 cycle.
When you look at Georgia Tech, they are going to run the football and play good defense. That makes the job easier for a first-time starter in Alberto Mendoza, who has a lighter load with the moves made this offseason. When you play in those major matchups, you have to lean on something to come out on top, and what better way than the true identity of your team?
3. The Defense Will Be Much Better
From top to bottom, the Yellow Jackets are poised to be much better defensively. When you look at the depth of the roster, the new defensive scheme, the talent level, and the hunger, you have a team that should be one of the better units in the conference. In order to beat the conference elite, you have to have a good defense that can travel and make plays late in games to seal it for you.
While Georgia Tech showed glimpses of that a season ago, the consistency in November just wasn’t there. With Jason Semore becoming the new defensive coordinator and a more attack-style, aggressive man-to-man defense, Georgia Tech should be equipped to force more turnovers and make a difference by getting the ball back to the offense.
The spring gave us a good glimpse of what the defense could look like despite so many injuries and players out. The defense flat-out shut down the Yellow Jackets, creating constant pressure and causing havoc for an offense trying to find its footing in the spring game. While some will say to take it with a grain of salt, it is clear that the Yellow Jackets will be a much better unit in 2026.
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Pennsbury Baseball Zuckerman District One Championship PIAA
Pennsbury junior Brendan Zuckerman smacks an RBI single to left in the Falcons’ 7-run first inning of District One 6A championship victory
Ryan Zuckerman is last on the alphabetical list of the 335 college and high school baseball players attending the June 22-27 MLB Draft Combine in Phoenix.
What the 2023 Pennsbury graduate did in his lone season at Georgia Tech has garnered him plenty of attention from MLB scouts regardless of where his name is on a list that includes Holy Ghost Prep grad Aiden Robbins, a Texas outfield standout who is expected to go as early as late in the first round, fellow Pennsbury graduate Joe Tiroly, an infielder from Virginia, and Pennsbury senior right-handed pitcher Keller Bradley.
MVP of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament for the conference champion Yellow Jackets, second-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and leader in home runs (23) and RBIs (79, tied for eighth in the country) for the high-powered Georgia Tech offense are just a few of Zuckerman’s notable accomplishments heading into the July 11-13 draft. He is projected to go toward the middle of the 20 rounds.
“It’s pretty surreal for sure,” said Zuckerman, 21. “It’s something I dreamed of my whole life.”
In a season filled with memorable moments, perhaps most impressive was Zuckerman being named ACC Tournament MVP after hitting three home runs with six RBIs and batting .571 (8 for 14), culminating in a 13-6 championship game win over North Carolina in Charlotte. He also was a first-team All-ACC selection at third base.
Zuckerman and Georgia Tech went into the NCAA Atlanta regional as the nation’s No. 2 seed. Though the 50-11 Yellow Jackets ended up being eliminated by losing twice to Oklahoma, including 8-7 in 10 innings for the regional title, Zuckerman can only rave about his experience at Georgia Tech.
“If you would have told me that’s how the season for me and each of us on the team would’ve gone, I would’ve been extremely happy,” Zuckerman said. “It was probably the best decision I ever made in my life.”
After a solid sophomore season at Pitt in which he hit .295 with 16 doubles, 13 home runs, 48 RBIs and 48 runs scored, Zuckerman believed transferring would help him develop into a more pro-ready player and allow him to win more games. And Georgia Tech checked all the boxes
In addition to his career-best home run and RBI numbers, Zuckerman led Georgia Tech in 2026 with 24 multi-RBI games while establishing career-highs in batting average (.345), runs (71), hits (80), walks (37), slugging percentage (.720) and on-base percentage (.438). He batted fifth in the order.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Zuckerman, who always had a strong arm, also worked hard to improve his defense at third base, resulting in 15.99 defensive runs saved for the season, which was the 13th-highest total in college baseball.
“I like to say I’m arguably the best third baseman in the country,” he said.
As a senior playing third at Pennsbury, Zuckerman hit .465 with an on-base percentage of .563, plus six doubles, six home runs, 23 RBIs and scored 26 runs.
“In high school, he was incredible for us,” said Pennsbury head coach Joe Pesci. “(A year ago), he decided to go from a mid- to low ACC team to the best team in the ACC. Surrounding himself with amazing players at Georgia Tech, he’s kind of elevated his game.”
Since the conclusion of the collegiate season, Zuckerman has been working out in preparation for the MLB Draft Combine and, ultimately, the draft. He’s been splitting his time between Yardley and Atlanta.
MLB teams have indicated Zuckerman’s power bat and defense are two of his strengths, while he’s focusing on improving his swing selection and making more contact at the plate.
Zuckerman is looking forward to hearing his name called by one of the 30 major league clubs. Whether a team views him as a third baseman, first baseman, corner outfielder or even second baseman doesn’t really matter to him.
“I think right now I’m in a great position to go and play professional baseball and start my journey up to the big leagues,” Zuckerman said. “The goal is not to get drafted – it’s to play MLB.”
Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly is a sports columnist for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.
Georgia
Georgia pair charged with murder after bartender’s dismembered remains found in lake outside Atlanta
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A Georgia pair have been charged with murder after allegedly slaughtering a bartender and dumping his dismembered remains in a lake, according to authorities.
Mario Andre Barber, 46, and Brittany Amber Baker, 42, were arrested on Monday for allegedly murdering Jamal Rashad Parker, 37, in a home outside of Atlanta, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Investigators discovered Parker’s remains in May in the Dog River Reservoir, located about 30 miles outside Atlanta.
Parker’s identity was confirmed using DNA comparison technology after his father contacted authorities to report that the victim’s tattoos matched his son’s ink, local station WSB-TV reported.
MINNESOTA MAN ACCUSED OF DISMEMBERING GIRLFRIENDS, HIDING BODIES IN STORAGE UNITS ENTERS PLEA
Mario Andre Barber, 46, and Brittany Amber Baker, 42, are charged with murder. (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators believe the two suspects killed Parker inside a home in Douglasville where Baker lived.
Late last month, investigators were observed leaving the home with a reciprocating saw and cleaning supplies, according to WSB-TV.
Police have not disclosed if Parker knew his alleged killers. However, a GoFundMe created by a family member described the pair as “people he knew and trusted.”
SUZANNE SIMPSON’S DNA FOUND ON MURDER SUSPECT HUSBAND’S SAW THAT CAN CUT METAL
A family member described Jamal Rashad Parker as a bartender, musician and artist with “a beautiful soul and spirit.” (GoFundMe)
The suspects pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday and are being held without bond. Both have lengthy criminal records, according to reports.
“I want them to be punished. And I don’t even think a life sentence is good enough,” Parker’s dad, Charles Parker, told WSB-TV outside the courthouse.
“It’s the kind of stuff you see on TV, but I mean … they had no remorse,” he added.
In addition to bartending at Ms. Icey’s Kitchen & Bar in Atlanta, the victim was a musician and artist with “a beautiful soul and spirit,” according to the GoFundMe page created to cover burial costs.
Investigators believe the two suspects killed the victim inside a home in Douglasville. (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)
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“He loved life and the people he met along his journey in life. He was a musical artist, visual artist, and a professional bartender who enjoyed creating new drinks. This has totally devastated our family and friends and has left us heartbroken,” the fundraiser reads.
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