Brent Key didn’t hold back talking about the importance of the Georgia vs. Georgia Tech rivalry ahead of his meeting with the Bulldogs on Saturday.

The Georgia Tech head coach knows first hand how much it means — he’s played and coached in it. When discussing the game on Tuesday in his press conference, he made it clear that it was not just another game.

“Big game coming up this weekend, and yeah, it’s a big game,” Key said. “It’s not just the next game. It’s the next game on the schedule, but it’s our in-state rival. It’s a chance to play for a state championship. It’s a chance to have bragging rights for a year. It’s kids that have played against each other growing up, and that’s what makes in-state rivalries great.”

Georgia Tech reached bowl eligibility with a win over Syracuse on Saturday, but Key doesn’t want that to lead to a lack of pressure. He wants his team to come into this game with intensity.

“I hope the pressure is never off of me. I hope they never take the pressure off of themselves,” Key said. “They say pressure busts the pipe, but it also makes diamonds. You grow under pressure, you thrive under pressure.”

Key managed to beat the Bulldogs 3 times as a player, and that feeling is something he wants his own players to feel.

“The feeling of winning that game, receiving the Governor’s Trophy, I’ve got one in my office now,” Key said. “I want guys to see that, I want them to know what that is. I want them to understand the importance of this game. It’s not just another game. When you come into the season there’s 2 goals. There’s the goal to the bowl game and there’s the goal to beat Georgia.”

The game hasn’t been competitive in recent years. The Yellow Jackets haven’t won since 2016, and that bothers Key.

“You’re damn right it does. Yeah it does,” Key said. “Rivalries aren’t one sided, rivalries are games that are competitive games between 2 teams. That’s what makes rivalries great. This is one of the best rivalries in the country. In order for that to be the case outside of our school, it needs to be competitive.”

The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.