Brent Key, undefeated and 7th-ranked Yellow Jackets have their guard up against Syracuse

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ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech has its guard up.

The undefeated, seventh-ranked Yellow Jackets are preparing to host Syracuse on Saturday, and coach Brent Key isn't letting them grow complacent.

“There’s three things I told the team, and they have to understand this,” Key said Tuesday. “I walked in and said, ‘Appreciate it guys, you’ve worked your butts off for this. But understand teams die from inside out, and not the outside in. Number two, we can get beat. And number three, this time of year teams either improve, or they get worse. You don’t stay the same.’”

Georgia Tech (4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has its highest AP poll ranking since 2009 and its first 7-0 start since 1966. A victory over Syracuse (3-4, 1-3) would secure Georgia Tech’s first eight-win season since 2016 and the sixth 8-0 start in program history.

“If you can’t appreciate success, what’s really the motivation to continue to do what you do?” Key said. “The reward comes at the end of the year, but there’s small rewards each week.”

Twenty unanswered second-half points in a 27-18 win at Duke last week kept the undefeated season alive. The Yellow Jackets trailed 10-7 deep into the third quarter against the Blue Devils and did not score an offensive touchdown until the final five minutes of the game, all while surrendering 441 yards.

“It’s hard to get better,” Key said. “It’s a choice and decision everybody has to make. That was the challenge to the team. They’re going to hear it, I’m not oblivious to that. But it’s still the same thing we said before. It’s their decision, it’s their choice what they give their full attention to.”

Georgia Tech is the only remaining undefeated ACC team and one of just six across the Football Bowl Subdivision.

All of the potential historical marks combined with the chase for an ACC championship and a College Football Playoff appearance have created noise around the program heading into its homecoming game.

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