Colorado vs Georgia Tech: The Battle For Respect.
- USA Top 100
- Aug 31
- 3 min read
Electric atmosphere during warm-ups. 52,868 fans in attendance.
Both the Buffs and the Yellow Jackets displayed a tremendous amount of poise. Both teams seemed eager to prove a point upon arrival.
Kaidon Salter appeared just as confident as the last time I saw him at the Elite 11 Finals, backed up by highly touted recruit JuJu Lewis.
Drelon Miller looked extremely confident in Salter during warm-ups.
Jordan Seaton appeared more muscular, fluid, and agile after working with Bengals great Willie Anderson this offseason.
On the opening drive, Georgia Tech QB Haynes King fumbled a handoff, resulting in a Buffs recovery. The Buffs stuck to the ground game with Micah Welch before Salter capped the drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Dekalon Taylor.
On Georgia Tech’s second series, the stadium noise became an apparent issue for King, leading to a mistimed snap with the center and another turnover. After four plays, the Buffs couldn’t convert.
On the following possession, King—flushed from the pocket—threw an interception into the hands of 6’2”, 180-pound Buffs defensive back D.J. McKinney.
Georgia Tech regrouped and went back to the air, connecting with wide receivers on rhythm throws and breaking off a chunk run on a trap play. They were forced to settle for a field goal.
After both offenses struggled to create separation, King led Tech on an 80-yard scoring drive, giving them a 10–7 lead. Following a short Buffs drive, Colorado tied it with a field goal, 10–10. Georgia Tech answered with another drive before halftime, taking a 13–10 lead.
To start the second half, the Buffs fed Micah Welch early but failed to convert. Georgia Tech leaned on King in the ground game, but he took the kind of hit you never want your quarterback to take. The Jackets tried to go to the air but came up short.
Salter responded on the next drive, firing a dart to senior Dekayln Taylor from Longview, Texas, sparking the Buffs to enter the red zone.
Contributions from Simeon Price kept the drive alive, and after the defense forced a sack, the Buffs settled for a field goal, tying the game 13–13.
Georgia Tech’s offensive line then imposed its will on the Buffs’ defensive front, paving the way for a touchdown and a 20–13 lead.
The Buffs answered as Salter used his legs to punch in a touchdown. The extra point was good—20–20.
The stadium roared as both sidelines delivered their final coaching points.
The Buffs’ defense rose to the occasion late in the fourth quarter. The stadium reached its loudest point of the night on a Georgia Tech 3rd down, where a late flag pushed the Jackets back. Colorado got the stop but failed to convert on the ensuing drive.
With 2:00 remaining, the game boiled down to a pivotal 3rd down. King picked up the first down on a QB draw, then scored on a designed run, putting Georgia Tech ahead 27–20.
On their final possession, the Buffs moved the chains once. Salter went deep to Miller but missed the completion by just a few inches. With one last attempt to tie, the Buffs fell short, losing to the Yellow Jackets by a single score.
The Buffs were missing arguably the best freshman lineman in the country, Chauncey Gooden, who would have helped the O-line counter Georgia Tech’s pressure in key moments.
Haynes King is a very good football player. He understands his role and showed that he can play through adversity.
Kaidon Salter was just inches away from everyone singing his praises. He makes instinctive decisions that impact the game. His willingness to be mobile, then reset on his throwing platform, takes courage—though it carries the risk of receivers running the wrong route. Chemistry with his WRs will only improve as they adjust to his play style.
Could Julian Lewis have won this game?
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