Georgia Tech opened its 2025 season with a statement win, edging Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes 27-20 in Boulder on Friday night in a Big 12-ACC showdown.
Quarterback Haynes King was the difference-maker, bouncing back from a turnover-plagued start to deliver a career-best performance. King rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns, including a spectacular 45-yard go-ahead score with just 1:07 left on the clock, silencing a packed Folsom Field.
Colorado had one final chance, but quarterback Kaidon Salter’s 50-yard Hail Mary attempt fell incomplete in the end zone as time expired, sealing the Yellow Jackets’ victory.
King’s redemption arc
The game began disastrously for King, who lost two fumbles and threw an interception in the first quarter, helping Colorado take an early 7-0 lead through Salter’s eight-yard touchdown pass to DeKalon Taylor. Despite the rocky start, King steadied himself, completing 13-of-20 passes for 143 yards while commanding the ground attack.
His first touchdown run tied the game in the second quarter, and he later capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a 17-yard rushing score in the third, putting Georgia Tech ahead 20-13.
Colorado’s fightback falls short
Salter, making his Buffaloes debut after transferring from Liberty, had moments of brilliance. He went 17-of-28 for 159 yards with a touchdown pass and a rushing score, while running back Micah Welch added 64 yards on the ground. Colorado tied the contest at 20-20 with just over eight minutes left in regulation on Salter’s seven-yard scramble.
But Georgia Tech, which outgained Colorado 463-305 in total yards, had the last word through King’s game-winning burst.
What’s next
The loss is a stinging blow for Sanders’ Colorado program, which had entered the season with high expectations. For Georgia Tech, it was a historic night — their first-ever meeting with Colorado ends in a road win, powered by a quarterback who went from liability to hero in the span of four quarters.
