Deion Sanders couldn’t have asked for a more chaotic game to kick off his fourth season at the helm with the Colorado Buffaloes. The season opener at Georgia Tech on Thursday night was sloppy for much of the game, but the one difference from much of Sanders’ first three seasons in Boulder is that the Buffaloes actually found a way to win.
There’s something to be said for that. Be happy to see Sanders avenge last season's loss to the Yellow Jackets in Week 1. But don’t get too high just yet, because Colorado has a lot to clean up before we put them among the Big 12’s top teams this season.
The biggest takeaway from Colorado’s Week 1 shocker over Tech is that they finally controlled the line of scrimmage. That said, former five-star QB Julian Lewis still needs to grow and mature as a college quarterback — he’s just a redshirt freshman, so there’s room for development. This was a solid win, that doesn’t mean Colorado instantly becomes College Football Playoff contenders either.
Colorado winning the trenches against Georgia Tech is a good sign
Even Deion Sanders was taken aback when he referenced the box score during his postgame press conference.
“We rushed for a buck 83 (183), my God. They rushed for 51. I thought we were small?” Sanders said, per a video clip posted by the Next Round X platform account.
Deion Sanders after Colorado's win at Georgia Tech:
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 4, 2026
“We rushed for 183, my God. They rushed for 51. I thought we were small?”
"I think this is the first sellout they had in how long?... I think we had a little something to do with that." pic.twitter.com/0G3YpHZ9XT
For years, Sanders has taken criticism for failing to flesh out the lines of scrimmage. Even when Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter were araond, his teams were dominated in the trenches. On Thursday, though, they proved they were done getting owned up front and ready to push back. Three different Colorado running backs had at least 10 carries and at least 40 rushing yards. They had nearly 200 rushing yards in the game as a whole.
Recruiting is a big part of that. But you also have to look at the coaching staff, specifically the offensive coordinator. Brennan Marion put together a game plan that had a lot of potential. The passing game didn’t flow like they wanted, but the rushing attack was there and his philosophy for how he wants the five guys to play up front is exactly what Colorado needs if they want to have the success Sanders has always preached.
Brennan Marion on the Colorado O-line:
— DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) August 27, 2026
“If you’re not trying to take another man against his will and take his soul, you just can’t play on this offensive line.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/nUj5xhPJkk
It’s fair to be excited. But as big of a win as it was, there’s still a lot Colorado needs to fix. Learn from the previous years, don’t let one game feed into a hype that might not be there just yet.
Glaring holes could haunt Colorado this season if they don’t get addressed
One of the biggest problems in the season opener was a lack of offensive consistency, specifically in the passing game. Receivers dropped passes they shouldn’t have; Lewis missed passes he shouldn’t have. It’s Week 1, no need to harp on things that can be corrected. The game plan was sufficient, the Buffaloes just didn’t execute as best as they could. But while they did have a great game on the ground, that won’t always happen.
The other thing we’re not sure of just yet is Colorado’s defense. Again, their defensive line passed the test against a legit running back in Justice Haynes. But Georgia Tech was able to generate a lot of yards throughout the game, they just couldn’t get into the end zone. There’s something to be said about red zone defense, but between the 20s, Colorado got torched. We’ll need to see a few more weeks of this defense before we deem them elite. They didn’t allow any offensive touchdowns Thursday night, though, and there’s something to be said about that.
When they face a quarterback that is more experienced than Alberto Mendoza, how differently will they look?
Colorado passed its first test, but it didn’t do so with flying colors. Luckily, this season is far from over and the Buffaloes have time to grow. If this defense continues to look like it did against Georgia Tech, it’s a sign this team is legit. If the offensive front continues to win in the ground game, it means Sanders might actually have a solid team.
And if Lewis can continue to mature as a quarterback, it will prove the Buffaloes just might be fine in the post-Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter era.
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