Deion Sanders, Colorado Lose to GT, Let Down Fans in 1st Game Without Shedeur, Hunter

Deion Sanders' third year as Colorado's head coach didn't get off to a strong start.

The Buffaloes fell to Georgia Tech in their season-opener by the final score of 27-20 at Folsom Field on Friday night.

Both teams were tied late in the fourth quarter, but the Yellow Jackets pulled ahead with a 45-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Haynes King with just over one minute left in the game.

Colorado didn't score on the ensuing drive as time expired, ending the contest with two timeouts remaining.

Fans weren't impressed with the performance from a Buffaloes squad missing key pieces from their 2024 season including Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.

The Buffaloes took an early 7-0 edge in Friday's game due to ball security issues by Georgia Tech, as the team committed turnovers on each of its first three drives to open the first quarter.

The Yellow Jackets eventually scored 10 straight points to jump in front, going on to lead 13-10 at halftime. The matchup continued to be a back-and-forth affair, as neither school held a two-possession lead at any point during the game.

In the end, Georgia Tech's rushing attack was too much for Colorado to overcome. Head coach Brent Key's team picked up 320 yards on 47 attempts, as four different players ran for at least 30 yards.

King led the way with 156 yards and three scores on the ground. He also finished 13-of-20 for 143 yards and an interception.

For Colorado, Kaidon Salter dealt with some accuracy issues in his team debut. The Liberty transfer finished 17-of-28 for 159 yards and a touchdown. Salter also rushed for 43 yards and another score, but averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt.

The Buffaloes put together several scoring drives but struggled to consistently move the chains, converting just five of 13 opportunities on third down.

Coach Prime's squad will now attempt to put Friday's close loss in the rearview mirror and look ahead to its next game, a clash with Delaware on Sept. 6.