The Colorado Buffaloes kicked off their 2026 season on Thursday night with an absolute thriller, pulling off a 14-13 road win against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but the real story is how they did it: blocking a game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired. Talk about a heart stopper! It was the kind of gritty performance that had head coach Deion Sanders practically cackling after the game, and honestly, who could blame him?
Deion’s Ground Game Delivers, Makes ‘Em Eat Their Words
Coach Prime was absolutely hyped about what he saw on the stat sheet, especially their ground game. “God, we rushed for 183 yards? My god, they rushed for 51? I thought we were small,” Sanders reportedly said, according to DNVR Sports, before a full-on cackle in his postgame presser. And he’s right to flex! The Buffs put up 183 total rushing yards, with Micah Welch punching in a touchdown and racking up 58 yards, Damian Henderson II leading the charge with a game-high 65 yards, and JaQuail Smith adding 42 yards. Meanwhile, Colorado’s defense absolutely shut down Georgia Tech’s run game, holding them to a measly 51 yards on just 1.7 yards per carry. That’s old-school football right there, folks.
Lewis Channels Prime Time in a Clutch Drive
But even with that dominant run game, Colorado still needed some late-game heroics. Enter Julian Lewis, the still-18-year-old quarterback and five-star recruit from the Class of 2025, in his first season as the full-time starter. After throwing for just 64 yards all night, Lewis led a go-ahead, 75-yard touchdown drive with a mere 1:40 left on the clock and zero timeouts in his pocket. He cooked for 60 yards on that one possession, capping it with a 20-yard touchdown strike to tight end Charlie Williams with 37 seconds remaining. Of course, Georgia Tech wasn’t going to roll over easily. Quarterback Alberto Mendoza, whose brother Fernando was the 2025 Heisman winner and 2026 NFL Draft No. 1 pick, quickly connected with Dalen Penson for a 42-yard bomb on their very next play. But it didn’t matter. Aidan Birr’s would-be game-winning 45-yard field goal attempt was swatted away, and the Buffaloes stole the win 14-13. Even wrestling legend Bill Goldberg, chilling with the Colorado faithful, had to be sweating!
What’s Next for Coach Prime’s Crew?
This kind of nail-biting, come-from-behind victory is exactly what Coach Sanders needed after a 3-9 season last year and a combined 17-21 record since 2023. You even had his son, Shedeur Sanders, the former Colorado star and now Cleveland Browns backup QB, celebrating on the sidelines and chatting it up with Lewis during the game. It just feels like a new vibe for the Buffs. Next up, Colorado hosts the Weber State Wildcats on Sept. 12 for their home opener. Then, the real test comes on Sept. 26, when they hit the road for their Big 12 opener against the Baylor Bears. You gotta believe this wild win gives them a massive shot of confidence heading into those matchups.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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