ATLANTA — Georgia Tech fans, Colorado fans and college football fans everywhere were treated to a thriller Thursday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium. In a game that appeared to be slipping into the Yellow Jackets’ hands, Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes found a way to leave Atlanta with something Sanders had not enjoyed often during his coaching career: a victory.
Colorado defeated Georgia Tech 14-13, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 37 seconds remaining before Boo Carter blocked Aidan Birr’s potential game-winning field goal on the final play. The victory moved Colorado to 1-0 and dropped Georgia Tech to 0-1.
For Sanders, this one carried a little more significance than an ordinary season opener. His previous trips to Atlanta as a head coach included disappointing Celebration Bowl losses while leading Jackson State.
This time, Coach Prime walked out a winner.
And he did it behind a young quarterback who knows the Atlanta area extremely well.
JuJu Lewis Comes Home and Delivers When It Matters
Julian “JuJu” Lewis returned to Georgia after starring at Carrollton High School, but for much of Thursday night, his homecoming wasn’t necessarily spectacular.
Lewis finished 14-of-27 for 124 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, and Colorado leaned heavily on its rushing attack rather than asking its young quarterback to carry the offense.
But when Colorado absolutely needed Lewis, he delivered.
Georgia Tech appeared to have seized control late. The Yellow Jackets blocked a Colorado field-goal attempt with 7:56 remaining, then marched down the field and received a 29-yard field goal from Birr to extend their advantage to 13-7 with 1:40 remaining.
At that point, Colorado needed more than a field goal.
It needed JuJu.
Lewis responded with the defining drive of the game. With Colorado’s season opener hanging in the balance, the freshman quarterback moved the Buffaloes down the field before connecting with Charlie Williams for the go-ahead touchdown with 37 seconds remaining.
It wasn’t a dominant statistical performance.
It was something potentially more important for a young quarterback: a winning performance.
When Lewis needed to be special, he was.
Colorado’s Running Game Changes the Story
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was how effectively Colorado controlled Georgia Tech on the ground.
The Buffaloes rushed for 183 yards, compared with only 51 rushing yards for Georgia Tech. Colorado also held the football for more than 34 minutes and converted seven third downs and two fourth downs.
The production came from throughout Colorado’s revamped backfield.
Damian Henderson II led the Buffaloes with 65 yards on 12 carries, while Micah Welch added 58 yards on 13 attempts and a touchdown. JaQuail Smith contributed another 42 yards on 10 carries, while DeKalon Taylor provided a crucial 16-yard run during Colorado’s game-winning fourth-quarter drive.
That balance allowed Colorado to take pressure off Lewis and repeatedly attack a Georgia Tech defensive front that appeared capable of physically controlling the matchup early.
Instead, there were stretches when Colorado was the more physical football team.
Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key acknowledged afterward that his team was knocked off the football at times, particularly during the second quarter, but pushed back on describing the problem as “concerning.”
“Concerning means it probably can’t be fixed,” Key said.
Key instead pointed toward correctable issues involving technique, assignments and players attempting to make plays rather than consistently doing their jobs.
Colorado’s overwhelming advantage on the ground made those mistakes particularly costly.
Alberto Mendoza Gives Georgia Tech Plenty to Build On
The final result shouldn’t overshadow an encouraging performance from Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza.
Making his first collegiate start, Mendoza completed 17 of 23 passes for 237 yards, finishing without a touchdown or interception. He displayed command of the offense, accuracy and enough arm strength to challenge Colorado vertically.
His best connection came with Jordan Allen, who caught eight passes for 113 yards. Mendoza also connected with Dalen Penson for 73 yards on three receptions, including the biggest completion of the night for Georgia Tech.
Mendoza’s performance becomes even more impressive considering the pressure Colorado generated.
Lamont Lester Jr. was outstanding, recording five tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and all three of Colorado’s sacks. The 22 yards lost on those sacks accounted for Mendoza’s official rushing total of minus-22 yards.
Still, Mendoza rarely appeared overwhelmed by the moment.
When Georgia Tech needed him late, he repeatedly delivered.
Facing third-and-8 during the drive that eventually gave Georgia Tech its 13-7 lead, Mendoza found Allen for 21 yards to extend the possession. Then, after Lewis put Colorado back in front, Mendoza answered again.
His 42-yard completion to Penson gave Georgia Tech a legitimate opportunity to win the game on the final play.
The ending didn’t change Mendoza’s belief in what Georgia Tech can become.
“I feel like we lost this game. I have the utmost confidence in these guys that we will bounce back. I’m just really excited for that next opportunity,” Mendoza said.
That may ultimately become one of the most important takeaways for Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets lost the game.
But they may have found their quarterback.
Georgia Tech Had One More Shot
Even after Lewis’ late touchdown, the game wasn’t finished.
Georgia Tech still had time.
And Mendoza gave the Yellow Jackets a chance.
After watching Haynes King repeatedly manufacture late-game magic during his time in Atlanta, it felt as though Mendoza might begin writing his own chapter with a similar moment.
His 42-yard strike to Penson moved Georgia Tech into position for a potential game-winning kick.
The Yellow Jackets only needed a field goal.
If Birr’s attempt went through, Georgia Tech would walk away with a 16-14 victory.
Instead, Carter came screaming through and blocked the kick.
Ballgame.
The contrast inside Bobby Dodd Stadium was immediate. A building that appeared seconds away from erupting fell almost completely silent, except for the pocket of Colorado supporters celebrating the Buffaloes’ escape.
14-13. Colorado.
For Sanders, it represented a dramatically different ending in Atlanta.
Mistakes Leave Georgia Tech Searching for Answers
The Yellow Jackets will have plenty to clean up.
Georgia Tech committed nine penalties for 49 yards, lost a fumble and converted only 5 of 13 third downs. The Yellow Jackets were outpossessed 34:09 to 25:51 and ran just 54 offensive plays compared with Colorado’s 76 in the game totals shown after the contest.
More troubling was Georgia Tech’s inability to establish the running game.
Justice Haynes carried 19 times for 64 yards, while Malachi Hosley managed 14 yards on six attempts. Georgia Tech’s rushing attack finished with just 51 net yards after accounting for sacks.
Those numbers don’t fit the identity Key has built at Georgia Tech.
But the coach remains confident that the problems are fixable.
This did not look like a team incapable of competing. It looked like a talented team playing its first game with several new pieces and paying dearly for mistakes against an opponent good enough to capitalize.
There were issues along the offensive line. There were defensive breakdowns. There were penalties. There were missed opportunities.
There was also a quarterback making his first collegiate start who completed nearly 74 percent of his passes, threw for 237 yards and put his team in position to win the game on its final offensive play.
There is plenty to clean up.
There is also plenty to build on.
A Different Ending for Deion Sanders in Atlanta
For Colorado, the night belonged to resilience.
The Buffaloes were significantly outgained through the air, yet controlled the ground game, pressured Mendoza and found the decisive plays when the game reached its most critical moments.
Lewis didn’t have to throw for 300 yards.
He had to make the throws that mattered.
Colorado didn’t need to dominate for four quarters.
It needed to win the moments that mattered.
And when Georgia Tech had one final opportunity to steal the game, Carter and Colorado’s special teams made the biggest play of the night.
For Sanders, Atlanta has provided some painful football memories during his coaching career. On Thursday night, the script finally changed.
For Lewis, the return home ended far differently than his previous championship appearance in Atlanta.
And for Georgia Tech, the ending was painful, but Mendoza’s performance provided legitimate reason to believe this offense has considerably more to show.
On a night filled with defensive pressure, a surprisingly effective Colorado rushing attack, two blocked field goals and a pair of young quarterbacks facing enormous late-game moments, the Buffaloes found the one thing that had eluded Sanders on his previous coaching trips to Atlanta.
A win.
