Late Drama Secures Win
Colorado Rallies Past Georgia Tech With Late Touchdown And Blocked Kick
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Key Points
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Deion Sanders said he enjoyed memorable moments in Atlanta, noting his personal history as a two-sport star for the Falcons and Braves, even though Colorado’s opener “wasn’t a picturesque effort.”
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Early in the game, Aidan Birr missed a 35-yard field goal for Georgia Tech (“Birr misses the 35-yard field goal”) during a drive that otherwise featured sustained offensive progress.
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Colorado’s first-quarter featured an early turnover: “Jordan Allen fumbles on the first snap and Colorado takes over,” a swing that the play-by-play recap highlights as a key early momentum change.
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A Georgia Tech red-zone defensive stand kept the Buffaloes from extending: Colorado reached a “fourth and goal,” then Georgia Tech’s defense got the stop when Colorado went for it—“Efford stopped the run short of the goal.”
Colorado stunned Georgia Tech 14-13 in a dramatic Thursday night opener at Bobby Dodd Stadium, with quarterback Julian Lewis throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Williams with just 37 seconds remaining. USA Today reported that freshman Lewis led an urgent 75-yard drive to snatch the lead, then Colorado's special teams delivered the final blow: Boo Carter blocked Georgia Tech's potential game-winning 45-yard field goal attempt, preserving the one-point victory.
The win marked Colorado's first 1-0 start since coach Deion Sanders arrived in 2023. Yahoo Sports noted that despite the narrow victory, Sanders praised his team's poise in a hostile stadium while acknowledging the performance was far from perfect.
Georgia Tech Led Until Late Heroics
Georgia Tech controlled most of the game, leading 13-7 after kicker Aidan Birr's second field goal. The Yellow Jackets built that lead through sustained drives and solid execution. But with time slipping away and no timeouts left, Colorado needed quick strikes to escape Atlanta with a win.
Bleacher Report detailed how Lewis engineered that critical late drive. Eight plays. 75 yards. One touchdown. The conversion from desperation to efficiency happened in under two minutes, flipping the entire game's momentum before Georgia Tech even got the ball back.
Early Mistakes Set the Tone for Both Teams
The first half was messy for both offenses. Colorado fumbled on its opening snap—Jordan Allen coughed up the ball immediately—handing Georgia Tech an early gift. The Yellow Jackets also misfired, with Aidan Birr missing a 35-yard field-goal attempt during a promising drive.
Momentum whipsawed constantly. The Big Lead reported that Rahkeem Smith's 100-yard kickoff return tied the game at 7-7, showcasing Colorado's special-teams ability early. Georgia Tech answered with a field goal to lead 10-7 at the break, but neither team could sustain offensive consistency through two quarters.
Sanders Praises Lewis Despite Uneven Performance
Coach Deion Sanders addressed the team after the win, emphasizing that Colorado would have been "eating him alive" if Lewis hadn't delivered that game-winning touchdown. Bleacher Report captured Sanders acknowledging the freshman's clutch execution under maximum pressure in the season's first game.
Sanders also reflected on his personal history in Atlanta, noting his time as a two-sport star with the Falcons and Braves. But he was candid about Colorado's overall display, telling reporters USA Today that the victory "wasn't a picturesque effort." Still, a win is a win—and special-teams heroics salvaged an imperfect debut.
Why This Rematch Mattered for Both Programs
This was Colorado and Georgia Tech's second consecutive season opener matchup. Last year, Georgia Tech won 27-20 in Boulder. Reversing that result on Georgia Tech's home field added extra weight to the victory for the Buffaloes.
For Sanders' program, the 1-0 start was critical after a rocky offseason. The Big Lead noted that the team delivered "a classy gesture" after the win, showing maturity despite the tight finish. Sometimes the path to building a program runs through nail-biters like this one.
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