BOULDER, CO – Coach Deion Sanders has been telling everybody for months that his new football team at Colorado this year is better than before, possibly even the “best team we’ve ever assembled,” as he said this week.
Then came their first game on Friday, Aug. 29 at sold-out Folsom Field.
And it turns out he might be a little off, at least for one game.
Georgia Tech beat Colorado 27-20 after Georgia Tech quarterback Hayne King scored the game-winning 45-yard touchdown run with 1:07 to go.
It was Sanders’ first game at Colorado without his two youngest sons playing for him: quarterback Shedeur and safety Shilo. Two-way star Travis Hunter also has moved on to the NFL after winning the Heisman Trophy last season with the Buffaloes.
In their place, Sanders fielded a new-look band of Buffaloes, who didn’t fully capitalize on Georgia Tech’s three turnovers in three possessions to start the game. They netted only an 8-yard touchdown pass from new quarterback Kaidon Salter, a transfer from Liberty.
Salter finished 17-for-28 for 159 yards and had that passing touchdown. He added 43 more yards on the ground on 13 carries and scored another touchdown.
But King for Georgia Tech was more prolific. He was 13-for-20 passing for 143 yards and had an interception, but he rushed 19 times for a career-high 156 yards and scored all three Georgia Tech touchdowns, including the 45-yard game-winner with just over a minute to go.
Georgia Tech gained 463 total yards, including 320 rushing yards, before Colorado’s Hail Mary pass fell flat to end the game in front of the announced crowd of 52,868.
Georgia Tech vs. Colorado highlights
Final: Georgia Tech 27, Colorado 20
Colorado’s Hail Mary falls incomplete. There was some questionable time management there in the final minute.
Haynes King gives Georgia Tech late lead
King bursts through the line and cruises the rest of the way for a 45-yard rushing TD. Georgia Tech leads 27-20 with 1:07 to go.
The QB has rushed 19 times for 156 yards and three touchdowns. He’s added 143 yards passing.
Colorado answers, ties game again
Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter engineered his best drive of the game, capped by his 7-yard scramble for a touchdown with under nine minutes left in the game. The score helped tie the game at 20-20 after Salter drove the Buffs downfield 75 yards in 15 plays as coach Deion Sanders implored him to “be you” during an in-game interview with ESPN.
Game officials initially called Salter down at the 1-yard line on his third-down run. But replay review showed he had pushed the ball across the goal line before his knee was down.
End of third quarter: Georgia Tech 20, Colorado 13
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King busted loose for a 17-yard touchdown run after faking a handoff. He moved his team downfield 75 yards on 11 plays. The touchdown put the Yellow Jackets up 20-13 with 14 seconds left in the third quarter.
The drive chewed up 5:46 of game clock and included five first downs for the Yellow Jackets.
Colorado then ran one play – a completion for 16 yards – as time expired in the third quarter.
King has 99 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 15 attempts. He also has completed 11 of 17 passes for 115 yards with one interception.
Colorado ties it up again
Colorado has tied the game at 13-13 with six minutes left in the third quarter. Kicker Alejandro Mata drilled a 29-yard field goal after the Buffs drove to the Georgia Tech 5-yard line but got stuffed on three plays before the kick. The scoring drive went 39 yards on eight plays, including a 21-yard pass from Kaidon Salter to receiver DeKalon Taylor on the drive’s first play.
Quiet start to third quarter
Both teams opened the second half with punts, with Georgia Tech still leading 13-10 with 10:15 left in the third quarter. Colorado opened the half with three straight runs by running back Micah Welch, including a 22-yarder to the left on the first play after halftime. But the Buffs stalled at the Georgia Tech 45-yard line.
Welch has eight carries for 65 yards.
Halftime: Georgia Tech 13, Colorado 10
Georgia Tech responded to Colorado’s field goal with a 43-yard field goal of its own as time expired in the first half. The Yellow Jackets lead at halftime 13-10.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders told ESPN at halftime that quarterback Kaidon Salter has been having communication issues but otherwise has had a “solid game.”
Salter has completed 6 of 10 passes for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King has completed 9 of 13 passes for 97 yards. He added a rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
Both teams have reason to be disappointed. Georgia Tech gave up three turnovers to start the game, but Colorado only came up with one touchdown to show for it.
Georgia Tech has outgained Colorado 279-119 in total yards and 18-5 in first downs.
Colorado gets the ball to open the second half.
Colorado ties it up
Colorado rediscovered a little bit of offense to tie the game at 10-10 with 1:39 to go until halftime. The Buffs went 51 yards in eight plays, including a 39-yard pass from quarterback Kaidon Salter to receiver Omarion Miller on third-and-10. That catch on the left side brought the Buffs to the Georgia Tech 25-yard line, but then they had to settle for a 42-yard field goal from kicker Alejandro Mata.
Georgia Tech takes the lead
The momentum has swung back to Georgia Tech after Colorado failed to fully capitalize on the Yellow Jackets’ three turnovers to start the game. They now lead 10-7 with 4:33 left in the second quarter after going 80 yards in 10 plays, capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by quarterback Haynes King.
Georgia Tech has outgained Colorado 230-63 in total yards. The Yellow Jackets have 16 first downs, compared to three for the Buffs.
Colorado offense stuck in neutral
Colorado’s offense has fizzled after scoring a touchdown on its first possession. Since then, it’s been three straight punts, including two three-and-outs. Quarterback Kaidon Salter is 4-for-8 passing for 12 yards, including his 8-yard touchdown pass. Georgia Tech has outgained Colorado 150-63 in total yards with 10:30 left before halftime.
Georgia Tech settles for field goal
The Yellow Jackets settled for a 32-yard field goal after driving from their 2-yard line all the way to the Colorado 8. But a holding penalty pushed them back from there, and now it’s 7-3 with 13:31 left before halftime. They ran 13 plays for 84 yards before the field goal by Aidan Birr.
End of first quarter: Colorado 7, Georgia Tech 0
Colorado leads 7-0 after one quarter of play but Georgia Tech is threatening to score at the start of the second quarter. The Yellow Jackets finally settled down on their fourth possession of the game, chipping away at Colorado’s defense with a drive that started at its own 2-yard line.
Georgia Tech has outgained Colorado after one quarter, 144-45 yards. The Yellow Jackets have the ball inside the Colorado 20-yard line.
Georgia Tech turns the ball over again
Now it’s three turnovers in three possessions to start the game for Georgia Tech. This time Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King threw to the left on first down in Colorado territory, only to be intercepted by Colorado cornerback DJ McKinney. The interception gave the Buffs possession at their own 34-yard line.
But the Buffs squandered the opportunity for the second straight time and punted the ball back.
Georgia Tech fumbles again
Two possessions, two fumbles for Georgia Tech. This time a high snap from center ended up on the ground and was recovered by Colorado defender Keaten Wade, putting the Buffaloes in good field position again at its own 48-yard line early in the first quarter.
The Buffaloes went three-and-out and had to punt, however.
Colorado turns turnover into touchdown
Colorado has struck first and is up 7-0 after recovering a fumble and scoring after going 36 yards in five plays. Quarterback Kaidon Salter threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to newcomer DeKalon “TrackHawk” Taylor with 12:08 left in the first quarter.
Linebacker Martavius French took the ball away from Georgia Tech on the Yellow Jackets’ second play from scrimmage to set it all up.
When is Colorado vs Georgia Tech?
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET Friday, Aug. 29 from sold-out Folsom Field in Boulder.
How to watch Colorado vs Georgia Tech
The game will be televised on ESPN and also is available on Fubo.
Colorado vs Georgia Tech odds
The latest odds can be found below. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
Rain falling at Colorado before game
With less than an hour before kickoff, rain is falling on the field, but not too heavily. It’ll make for wet conditions on Colorado’s new artificial turf field, even if the rain stops after kickoff, as has been forecasted. The rain also has kept the seats from filling at the stadium so far. It’s mostly empty except for students wearing white shirts as part of a coordinated color scheme for Colorado.
Portable toilet on sideline for Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders wasn’t joking when he talked about having a portable toilet on the sideline. A Colorado official confirmed that the black tented box near the 20-yard line is Sanders’ bathroom if he needs it. It is sponsored by Depend, the adult underwear brand. Sanders has a partnership with Depend after having his cancerous bladder removed in May. He has discussed his incontinence and bladder issues openly since then in his effort to remove the stigma around the issue.
What happened to Colorado’s bison mascot?
Raphie VI, Colorado’s live mascot, has retired after four seasons, as was announced earlier this week. Colorado is training a new bison for the job, but she won’t be ready to run on the field before the game.
“We all saw that coming,” Deion Sanders said on the ‘Colorado Football Coaches Show’ Aug. 27.
He was referring to Ralphie VI’s slow trots and seeming lack of interest in the job. Prior Ralphie mascots charged out of the gate down and around the field before kickoff.
“I’m hating the point that we are missing a Ralphie for this game,” Sanders said on the show.
What is the history between Colorado and Georgia Tech?
They’ve never played. But they shared the national championship for the 1990 season after the Associated Press picked Colorado No. 1 to finish the season and the UPI Coaches’ Poll coronated Georgia Tech. It came down to a single point in the Coaches’ Poll. Then-Nebraska coach Tom Osborne previously declined to talk about it but revealed in a recent interview with USA TODAY Sports that he picked Georgia Tech No. 1 instead of Big Eight Conference rival Colorado. Georgia Tech finished 11-0-1 that year. Colorado finished 11-1-1.
Who is replacing Travis Hunter for Colorado?
It takes a village to fill the shoes of the two-way star. On defense, cornerback DJ McKinney was the “other” cornerback last year and is NFL draft material. He’ll be the guy to take on the other team’s top receiver. On offense, the Buffs have a stacked set of fleet feet to catch passes, including a transfer from Incarnate Word who goes by the moniker of “TrackHawk.” That’s DeKalon Taylor, a running back/receiver who is the fastest player on the team.
Why is Colorado wearing a new jersey patch?
The Buffs will wear their traditional home uniforms from the 1990s: gold helmet, black jersey, gold pants, white socks and black shoes. This is to honor former Colorado coach Bill McCartney, who died in January. McCartney led the Buffs to the national championship in 1990 before retiring abruptly after the 1994 season, when his team finished No. 3 nationally.
“We’re going to give some love to Coach McCartney,” Deion Sanders said earlier this week.
The team also will wear a patch on their jerseys to honor “Coach Mac.”
Who will walk with Deion Sanders before the game?
In his first two seasons at Colorado, Sanders would take part in a ritual with his son Shedeur and sometimes his safety son Shilo. They would walk and talk together down the field as father, coach, sons and players. Now that his sons have left the program, another player on the current team offered to walk the same walk with him before the game, which Sanders found touching. But Sanders didn’t say who it was.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com