Colorado football stuns Georgia Tech late, but questions linger

The Colorado Buffaloes got the ending they needed Thursday night, even if the route to it was about as uncomfortable as any season opener can get.

Julian Lewis found Charlie Williams on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 37 seconds left, then Colorado's field-goal block by defensive back Boo Carter closed the door at the horn for a 14-13 win over Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Buffaloes were out of timeouts and down six points when they started the final possession at their own 25-yard line, which made the finish feel larger than a typical Week 1 play.

Lewis had not found much consistency through the air before that drive. Colorado had dropped passes, missed downfield opportunities and left yards on the field during a first half in which both teams struggled with the humid conditions. The freshman quarterback had a rough sequence late in the second quarter, losing his grip on the football before recovering it and taking a 15-yard sack. Colorado followed with three incompletions before punting to close the half.

Georgia Tech held a 10-7 lead at that point, and the game never settled into a normal rhythm after halftime. Colorado's rushing attack gave the Buffs control of the ball, but Georgia Tech stayed close because Colorado could not finish possessions.

When Georgia Tech's Aidan Birr hit a 29-yard field goal with 1:40 remaining, Colorado had one last chance and Lewis took it.

The run game gave Colorado a foundation

Colorado finished with 183 rushing yards on 49 carries and ran 76 offensive plays, compared to just 53 for Georgia Tech. The 183 yards are the third-most in the Coach Prime era. The Buffaloes had the ball for 34 minutes, 9 seconds, and that advantage kept them involved even when their passing offense struggled to find answers.

Micah Welch carried the ball 13 times for 58 yards and a 5-yard touchdown. His touchdown came during Colorado's best offensive series of the first half, when he handled four consecutive runs for 35 yards before finding the end zone. Damian Henderson II led the way with 12 rushes for 65 yards, and JaQuail Smith had 10 rushes for 42 yards.

It also marked the first time since 2021 that Colorado's first touchdown of a season came on the ground. In Deion Sanders' first three seasons, the Buffaloes opened their scoring with touchdown passes. On Thursday, Colorado had more success getting behind its offensive line and letting its backs work between the tackles.

Colorado's offensive line played a major role in the win. The group created room inside and gave the Buffs enough movement to stay committed to the ground game, even as Georgia Tech loaded the box later in the night. Chauncey Gooden started at left guard and also worked at defensive tackle, an unusual workload that fit a game with plenty of unusual personnel decisions.

The line had a costly issue on the fourth-quarter field-goal attempt, when a bad snap disrupted the operation, and Daniel Gerlach's 38-yard kick was blocked.

Lamont Lester and the front held Georgia Tech down

Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza had success moving the ball through the air, finishing with 237 passing yards. Still, Colorado did not allow the Yellow Jackets to establish a running game like last season's matchup.

Georgia Tech finished with 51 yards on 30 attempts, averaging 1.7 yards per carry. The Buffs controlled the line in that phase, and the effort became more important as the game tightened late.

Lamont Lester Jr. was Colorado's most disruptive defender. The Monmouth transfer had three sacks, including a second-half takedown that stopped a Georgia Tech drive after the Yellow Jackets opened with a 30-yard completion. Lester worked inside on one sack and continued to create pressure when Colorado needed a play.

Liona Lefau was active around the ball, while defensive coordinator Chris Marve used a late safety blitz from Randon Fontenette to help force a crucial stop. Colorado did not consistently reach Mendoza with a four-man rush, but Lester gave the Buffs a defender who could turn a passing down into a punt.

Special teams decided the night

Colorado's special teams endured a difficult night before making the game-ending play.

After Welch's touchdown gave Colorado a 7-0 lead, Georgia Tech's Rahkeem Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. The Yellow Jackets had tied the game before Colorado's defense had a chance to respond, and the return shifted the momentum inside Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Colorado later put together a 17-play, 61-yard drive in the fourth quarter, only to come away empty when Gerlach's field-goal attempt was blocked. Georgia Tech eventually converted that miss into points with Birr's late field goal giving them a 13-7 advantage.

Lewis and Williams erased that deficit on the final drive. Colorado's Boo Carter completed the finish by getting through on Birr's final attempt as time expired. Much of the criticism of special teams came online regarding the Buffaloes' choice not to have a special teams coach this season.

The Buffaloes leave Atlanta at 1-0, with Lewis' late touchdown supplying the defining image from a night when Welch, the offensive line, Lester and the run defense repeatedly kept Colorado within reach.

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football stuns Georgia Tech late, but questions linger