Just wanted to update my thread. I started to take it apart to check the key, but gave up because I didn't have the right tools to get to it.
We took the mower to a place that fixes them, and he told us we would need a whole new engine. Its a John Deere push mower that is only 2 years old. The notes on his repair invoice says that "the problem is that the exhaust guide is out of the block" (whatever that means, I don't know).
We will end up having to get a new mower.