Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets coach Brent Key is staying the course after a tough start to the season, saying the "goal this week is to go 1-0" as his team hosts Mercer Bears on Saturday in Atlanta.

The Yellow Jackets (0-2) seek their first win after dropping consecutive home contests to Colorado and then-No. 18 Tennessee. Georgia Tech's last 0-3 start to a season came in 1989.

Key will be hoping for improvements from his defense after it surrendered 299 rushing yards to the Volunteers last Saturday in a 45-24 defeat.

The six explosive runs generated by Tennessee were the biggest factor in those numbers, according to Key, who felt the performance in the defensive trenches overall improved from Week 1.

"Three of the six of those came down to one person making the play," Key said. "And we weren't able to do that. ... Shame on us for not having more than one guy there, to rally to the football and get off a block."

Mercer will be leaving Macon for the first time this season, but will remain in-state.

The Bears (No. 22 in the FCS Coaches' Poll) are 2-1 after falling 20-13 to conference foe Furman last Saturday. Quarterback Jaylen King threw four interceptions and the Paladins' Ben Croasdale scored the game-winning touchdown on a 47-yard run with 47 seconds left.

"The message is to move on," Mercer coach Joel Taylor said about his approach this week.

"A loss kind of magnifies some things that you've got to fix. I think it also heightens the sense of urgency of getting better as well, but we have a great opponent that's coming up."

Bears wide receiver Brayden Smith was selected as the Southern Conference's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and has lived up to that billing, leading the league with 284 receiving yards on 17 catches with one touchdown.

Georgia Tech won 35-10 in the only previous meeting in the modern era in 2016.

--Field Level Media

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