Colorado Stuns Georgia Tech in Dramatic Season-Opening Upset

ATLANTA — Julian Lewis connected with a receiver in the back corner of the end zone from 24 yards out with 37 seconds remaining, lifting Colorado to a stunning 14-13 victory over Georgia Tech Thursday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

The win completed a remarkable comeback for a Colorado team that finished 3-9 last season, including a 1-8 mark in Big 12 play. It also served as sweet revenge for a season-opening loss to the Yellow Jackets a year ago.

"I thought we were small?" Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said, referencing criticism the team faced during fall camp when photographs circulated online mocking the Buffaloes' apparent lack of size. "We rushed for 183 yards. They rushed for 51."

The game marked Sanders' first coaching appearance in Atlanta since his days at Jackson State, when he led the Tigers to prominence in the FCS ranks. Sanders guided the Buffaloes to a 4-8 record in his debut season in Boulder, fueled by star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way sensation Travis Hunter. Both have since moved on to the NFL, leaving Colorado with a roster many observers considered among the weakest in the Power Four conferences.

None of that mattered Thursday.

Lewis, a sophomore quarterback making his first career start, had struggled through the first three and a half quarters, failing to move the offense consistently. But he found his rhythm when it mattered most, engineering a nine-play, 75-yard drive in the final minutes that ended with his touchdown strike to the pylon.

Georgia Tech, playing in its first sellout home-opener in 20 years, moved the ball into field goal range in the closing seconds. The Yellow Jackets attempted a kick as time expired, but Colorado's defense swarmed through the line and blocked the attempt, sending the Buffaloes streaming onto the field in celebration.

"I'm back," Sanders declared afterward, grinning broadly in the postgame press conference.

Sanders acknowledged the significance of the crowd, which was packed with Colorado supporters despite the game being played 1,400 miles from campus. The Buffaloes, who barely registered on the national radar during a forgettable 2023 campaign, drew attention once again.

"I think this is the first sellout they've had in how long?" Sanders said. "I think we had a little something to do with that."

The victory provides immediate credibility for a program that endured relentless ridicule throughout the summer. Questions about Sanders' ability to rebuild without his marquee players had grown louder in recent months. Thursday's result will buy time for the Buffaloes to prove they belong among competitive programs.

Colorado now turns its attention to the rest of a schedule that will test whether Thursday's performance was an aberration or the start of something sustainable. The Buffaloes' running game, which finished with 183 yards against a Georgia Tech defense that had been expected to control the line of scrimmage, suggests the team may have more physicality than critics assumed.

For Georgia Tech, the loss stings deeply. The Yellow Jackets had positioned themselves for a statement victory to open the Brent Key era before their home crowd. Instead, they became another footnote in college football's unpredictable opening nights.

One game does not define a season. But for Colorado, it marks a resurgent start that few saw coming.