Colorado freshman quarterback Julian Lewis hit tight end Charlie Williams for a 20-yard touchdown with 37 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, lifting the Buffaloes to a last-minute, 14-13 win over Georgia Tech on Thursday night in a season opener.
Georgia Tech looked like it could pull off the improbable when quarterback Alberto Mendoza found wide receiver Dalen Penson for a 42-yard gain, putting the Yellow Jackets in field goal range. But Boo Carter blocked Aidan Birr’s 45-yard attempt, and the Buffaloes stormed the field.
Colorado is the first FBS team to end its season opener by blocking a field goal as time expired since Northern Illinois did it in 2021 — also against Georgia Tech.
“I never flinched, man,” Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders said. “I told several people on the sideline, we’re gonna make it very, very interesting, but we’re gonna win this game.”
A tough night for Lewis came together in the final two drives. The freshman quarterback took 9:07 off the clock with a 17-play, 61-yard drive that ended with a blocked field goal from 6-foot-9 Georgia Tech tight end Kevin Roche Jr.
Georgia Tech responded with a field goal scoring drive to take a 13-7 lead, but with newfound confidence, Lewis led a clutch two-minute drill for the win.
Lewis finished the night 14-of-27 for 124 yards and a touchdown.
“I talked to him at halftime in front of the whole team,” Sanders said. “I told the whole team, ‘Let’s go. You’re that man. We believe in you. Let’s go.’ And you know, I challenged him in front of the whole team. And he went and did his thing. … He took advantage of the moment. He didn’t shrink in it.”
Running back Micah Welch put the Buffaloes on the board with a 5-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, giving Colorado a short-lived 7-0 lead.
Georgia Tech responded 14 seconds later as Rahkeem Smith returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown and tied the score. It was Smith’s first touch for the Yellow Jackets and the program’s first kick returned for a touchdown since Jahmyr Gibbs against Boston College in 2021.
Mendoza, the younger brother of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, finished the night 17-of-23 for 237 yards and dodged an injury scare that onlookers feared could affect his second-half availability.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.