BOULDER, Colo. — In a season opener that looked like a blender toss—two fumbles, an interception, and a whole lot of panic—Georgia Tech found its groove just in time. Quarterback Haynes King broke free for a 45-yard touchdown run with just 1:07 to play, securing a 27-20 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes. It was a football movie moment, minus the studio budget. ESPN.com+1
A rocky start, but a golden finish
The Yellow Jackets’ first three possessions sparked a personal-best blooper reel: two fumbles and an interception. Not exactly the highlight reel you want in week one. ESPN.com But as Georgia Tech coach Brent Key put it, “the difference was our ability to run the football.” And run they did—accumulating 320 rushing yards as a team. ESPN.com+1
King wasn’t just leading the offense—he became it. He finished with 156 rushing yards and three TDs, alongside 143 passing yards. And on that final drive? He carried the rock on four of five plays. “They called my number. I did my job. I followed my blockers,” he shrugged afterward. “The rest is history.” ESPN.com
Colorado’s fight wasn’t textbook—but it was real
Colorado’s debuting quarterback Kaidon Salter showed grit—159 passing yards, a rushing TD, and pulling the Buffaloes within a point at 20–19 with just over eight minutes left. A blocked-but-good extra point tied things at 20. ESPN.com+1
Deion Sanders doesn’t threaten—he coaches with flair. “We could’ve won the game … They ran the heck out of the ball.” He lamented not taking advantage of those early Tiger-sized opportunities. ESPN.com
Game Notes worth bragging about
- First-ever meeting between these programs (hello, history lesson) ESPN.com
- Colorado wore patches honoring Bill McCartney, legendary coach and 1990 national champ (shared title with Georgia Tech) ESPN.com
- A slick turf—thanks to a sudden downpour—made ball control a slippery business. Colorado linebacker Martavius French recovered two early fumbles. ESPN.com
- That Georgia Tech win? Their first regular-season road victory in Mountain Time Zone since 1978. Time zones are fickle foes, folks. ESPN.com
- Mascot Ralphie VI (Colorado’s beloved buffalo) retired earlier this week, so he sat this one out. ESPN.com
Looking ahead
The Yellow Jackets return home on Sept. 6 to host Gardner-Webb. The Buffaloes will take on Delaware in Boulder. Both teams clearly still sorting through first-week cobwebs—but if games like this are any indicator, the fight is just getting started. ESPN.com
King’s Late Dash Lifts Georgia Tech in Ground Game-Galore Win Over Colorado
BOULDER, Colo. – What started as a comedy of mistakes turned into a full-blown highlight reel, thanks to quarterback Haynes King. The Yellow Jackets overcame three early turnovers to snatch a 27–20 season-opening win over the Buffaloes—sealed with King’s 45-yard touchdown run with just 1:07 to play. ESPN.comCBSSports.com
Georgia Tech unleashed a rushing clinic, piling up 320 yards on the ground—an embarrassingly impressive feat against Colorado’s middling run defense (No. 60 in FBS last year) CBSSports.comFOX Sports. For those keeping score at home: that kind of dominance in the ground game was rare—especially for the season opener.
On the stat sheet:
- Total offense: GT 463 yards vs. Colorado 305
- Yards per play: GT 6.8, Colorado 5.1
- Time of possession: GT 32:23 to CU’s 27:37
- First downs: GT 27, CU 19
- Turnovers: GT 3, CU 0
ESPN.comFOX Sports
King finished the night with 156 rushing yards and three TDs, plus 143 passing yards (on 13-of-20 passing)—becoming the first Jacket since 2018 to hit those rushing marks in a game. CBSSports.com His final 45-yard bolt was the exclamation point on a drive where he carried 4 of 5 plays.
“They called my number… I followed my blockers,” King said. “The rest is history.” CBSSports.com
Colorado’s Kaidon Salter—making his first start after transferring in—showed flashes of promise: 159 passing yards (17-of-28), a passing TD, and the game-tying 7-yard scramble in the fourth quarter. ESPN.comCBSSports.com
Yet, despite the late surge, the Buffaloes couldn’t take it home. Their final Hail Mary attempt was knocked down in the end zone. CBSSports.com+1
Earlier in the game, GT’s starting lineup looked like a blooper reel:
- First-half dominance: GT held a 279–119 edge in total yards, 182–71 on the ground, and dominated time of possession at 19:07–10:53.
- Salter’s first-half passing total? A meager 48 yards—39 of which came on one explosive play. Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH)
In summary? Early chaos, then clutch brilliance. Georgia Tech’s rushing attack turned a rocky start into a statement win. King’s late-game heroics wasn’t just a win—it was the kind of moment a team can rally around moving forward.
