One of the first things Brent Key said he did when he was named Georgia Tech’s interim coach in 2022 was to get to work fixing the Yellow Jackets’ special-teams play. It’s an area in which he takes tremendous pride and a unit that had an impressive showing throughout 2023, Key’s first season leading the program, and for the first third of this season.
But things have gone awry lately in Tech’s special-teams play. And that continued to be apparent Saturday in a 31-13 loss to No. 12 Notre Dame, when Tech left at least six points on the board because of kicking issues and misplayed two other Notre Dame fake kicks, one of which led directly to a Notre Dame field goal.
“A lot of conversations, a lot of things have taken place during this week to ensure that we correct some of the moments that have shown up the last two weeks,” Key said Tuesday.
A week before the loss to Notre Dame, Tech’s win at North Carolina overshadowed a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown by UNC’s Alijah Huzzie. On Oct. 5 against Duke, a 67-yard kickoff return by the Blue Devils began the second half.
And against Louisville on Sept. 21, the Cardinals returned a blocked field-goal attempt 40 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Tech enters Saturday’s game at Virginia Tech (noon, ACC Network) ranked 121st nationally in kickoff-return defense (24.9 yards allowed per return) and 103rd nationally in punt-return defense (10.7 yards allowed per return). The Jackets also haven’t been much of a threat with their own returns, averaging only eight yards per punt return and only 20 yards per kickoff return.
Key’s team has blocked four kicks this season, one shy of the national leader Florida State, which has five. But that mostly has been the lone bright spot.
“There’s been nothing special,” Key said bluntly about his special teams. “We have made some adjustments with things because it’s unacceptable. We made massive improvements for a year and four games. The first four games and the second four games (this season) are night and day. To deep dive into that and find out the why and make the adjustments necessary and needed, those are the decisions I have to make and have made.”
Tech’s special teams are under the direction of Ricky Brumfield. Hired by Key in 2023, Brumfield reportedly signed an extension with Tech in September, placing him under contract through the 2026 season at an average base salary of $425,000. Brumfield’s original contract paid him an annual salary of $300,000. He also interviewed for an assistant coaching position with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams in February.
Last season, Brumfield’s unit allowed only one blocked field-goal attempt and one blocked punt, got their hands on four field-goal attempts (the third most nationally) and ranked fourth in the ACC on punt returns. Kick-return defense still was an issue at 26.8 yards allowed per return.
Kicker Aidan Birr has missed six field-goal tries after missing only two of 19 tries in 2023. The sophomore is, however, 31-for-31 on extra-point attempts, and his game-winner against Florida State in the opener was one of the plays of the season.
David Shanahan has punted 28 times and is averaging 43.89 yards per punt, which would be his career-best. Sophomore wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. has been the team’s primary return man on kickoffs (six returns for an average of 26.5 yards), while defensive back Rodney Shelley has 10 punt returns for 72 yards.
Key did not commit to making any changes in his special-teams lineups ahead of Saturday.
“I’m not gonna sit here and talk personnel, by any means, in there. I would just say on Saturday that we’re gonna put the people out there that give us the best opportunity to win based on the information that we have from previous games,” Key said. “I think I talked on Tuesday about the practicing during the week and the execution during Saturdays — they’ve gotta marry up. We gotta put the best people out there to execute on Saturday.”
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