There are lots of storylines heading into this weekend against 23rd ranked Georgia Tech in the dome. Saturday’s game against the Yellowjackets will be the earliest the Orange have hosted a ranked foe since 2016, it’s the first ACC game of the Fran Brown era, but probably none are bigger than Brown’s relationship with Yellowjacket head coach Brent Key.
Key was on the coaching staff for a year when Brown was a player at Western Carolina. When Brown was asked at his weekly press conference about Key, he credited the GT headman to aiding him where he is today.
“Honored for the opportunity we have this week to go against Georgia Tech, especially the opportunity to go against Coach Key as a head coach. He’s known me since I was 20 years old when he was a coach at Western Carolina,” Brown added. “He’s been a part of helping me become successful.”
As for when Key was asked about Brown, he didn’t have as much to say about his former player.
“I was only there for like four months. I got there in early August and was at UCF by December or January. He was a good football player when I was there, a defensive football player, that was a long time ago,” Key said.
Both coaches are keeping a “all business” mentality heading into a pivotal ACC clash. Brown noted that while he and Key might be friends, now is not the time for conversation.
Nah, I’ll see him on Saturday,” Brown added. “Whenever we see each other, we talk.. but we’re not going to be calling each other, I’m not doing that with anybody, we’re out here to compete.”
Competing is the name of the game. The Orange haven’t beaten a ranked opponent since 2018. All of that can change come Saturday against Georgia Tech. A win against the Yellowjackets would not only be Brown’s biggest win so far as head coach, but show that Syracuse can compete with the top teams in the ACC.
