Yellow Jackets practice at Orlando high school ahead of Pop-Tarts Bowl
ORLANDO, Fla. — Georgia Tech took to the practice field Tuesday afternoon, its first workout in Florida ahead of Saturday’s Pop-Tarts Bowl against Brigham Young.
The Yellow Jackets (9-3) arrived at Norton Baker Stadium on the campus of Boone High School south of Orlando and began practice around 2:30 p.m. On a 78-degree, sunny day, 22nd-ranked Tech started with its normal stretching routine before an 11-on-11 session and then individual drills.
Tuesday’s practice was the first of three scheduled workouts for the Jackets this week before their final game of the season.
“This game gives us another opportunity to come out and compete and play a team that I honestly think should be in the (College Football) playoffs. I think BYU should be a playoff team,” Tech coach Brent Key said Monday when the Jackets arrived in Orlando. “It gives us a chance to go and compete in what I think should be the most competitive bowl game outside of the CFP.”
Key will be coaching in his third bowl game in as many seasons as the program’s coach. He brings a team into the Pop-Tarts bowl that’s looking to give Tech a 10-win season for the first time since 2014, and hoping to avoid a three-game losing streak for the first time in Key’s tenure.
Tuesday’s practice did have some missing pieces, however, with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner having left for Florida, running backs coach Norval McKenzie gone to Virginia Tech; offensive line coach Geep Wade gone to Nebraska and five players, most notably backup quarterback Aaron Philo, no longer with the team because they have decided to transfer.
Newly hired assistant Allen Mogridge coached the offensive line Tuesday and senior offensive assistant Brian Bohanon took charge of the running backs. Redshirt freshman Graham Knowles has moved one spot up the depth chart to take Philo’s place.
Otherwise, it was a typical day of practice for Key and the Jackets who are slight underdogs going into Saturday’s matchup against an 11-2 BYU team.
“I can’t predict the future and I can’t predict the final outcome of games. All we can control is what we put into it,” Key added. “How do we go out and play Saturday? I hope it’s a competitive football game, I hope it goes the way we expect and we play to our identity and the standard we have internally. You can’t control how the game plays out, you can just control what you put into it. I’m expecting a really good outing from us.”
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