FOLSOM FIELD – BOULDER, COLORADO
With rain falling in the foothills of the Rockies, the Jackets opened their season on the road against the Colorado Buffaloes. Fresh off of firing their live mascot, Ralphie VI, Colorado looked to build off their best season since 2016. Tech returned the majority of the production from a second straight 7-6 season, while Colorado won nine games in the final season of quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wideout/cornerback Travis Hunter.
52,868 fans gathered to watch the action
at Folsom field as the Jackets earned a 27-20 win. Tech lost fumbles on their first two drives after losing three fumbles all of last season, and quarterback Haynes King threw an interception on the third drive. The Jackets settled in to run for 320 yards on nearly seven yards per carry and put up 463 total yards of offense.
Colorado’s Kaidon Salter evaded Tech’s pass rush well for most of the night, but the Jackets managed to bring him down for a sack and registered a half-dozen tackles for loss. Tech only punted the ball twice all game, but averaged 48 yards per punt and was perfect on special teams, with kicker Aidan Birr nailing all of his attempts and a near-block on a Colorado extra-point.
How it happened
1Q
Tech opened with a 13 yard jet sweep to senior wideout Malik Rutherford but turned the ball over on the second play on a botched handoff. Colorado leaned on its ground game to start the ensuing drive before transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter rolled out for an eight-yard touchdown toss to running back Micah Welch.
The Jackets responded with a drive into Buffalo territory before a bad snap led to another fumble around midfield. Tech forced a three and out following three straight Colorado incompletions, and drove into Colorado territory again before throwing an interception for their third straight drive with a turnover. The Jacket defense again stood strong and forced a three and out and a punt, but the good coverage on the punt gave Tech the ball on their own 2.
2Q
The Jacket rushing attack led an 84-yard drive, with four different players carrying the ball. The offense stalled out with goal to go, but Aidan Birr put Tech on the board with a 32-yard field goal. Colorado advanced the ball near midfield, largely on a face mask call against Tech, but once again punted the ball away.
The Jackets mounted another long drive and this time King punched the ball in from the four yard line to give the visitors a 10-7 lead. Salter uncorked a 39-yard pass to Omarion Miller, but the Colorado offense could only muster a field goal for a 10-10 game late in the second quarter. Tech used a rush-heavy attack to work into field goal range, and Birr gave Tech the 13-10 lead as the first half expired.
The Jackets outgained Colorado 279-119 in the first half, but Colorado’s short fields kept them in the game. After three straight turnovers to open the game, the Tech offense settled in to score on the final three drives of the half.
3Q
Colorado opened the second half with a long run, with the 22-yard scamper their longest rush of the day. Tech forced another punt and started their first drive of the half on their own 14-yard line, a six-play drive that resulted in the first Jacket punt of the night. Tech committed a pair of personal fouls to spot Colorado significant yardage, but a sack by Jordan Van den Berg forced another Buffalo field goal to tie the game at 13 as the rain began to fall again.
On the next drive, Tech had a first down taken away by a review of the spot, but King took a quarterback sneak for two yards to convert a fourth down near midfield. The Jackets kept the ball on the ground, driving into the red zone, before King kept it himself for 17 yards and his second rushing score of the day.
4Q
Colorado started the fourth quarter with the ball and their offense beginning to find a rhythm. Two straight quarterback dives by Salter gave Colorado a first down near the red zone. A pass interference call against Tech was nullified by a tipped ball, and a replay upheld the decision, but Colorado drove inside the ten. Salter scrambled for a seven-yard touchdown, and while Ahmari Harvey got a hand on the PAT, Colorado tied the game at 20 with eight minutes left in the fourth.
Tech started the next drive with a 27-yard pass to Jamal Haynes, but a pair of false start penalties and a narrow incompletion on third and long forced a punt to the Colorado 11. A pair of off-target throws by Salter led to another punt and possession for the Jackets with under three minutes left on their own 39. After a couple of first downs, King grabbed his third touchdown of the game with a 45-yard keeper with 1:07 left. Colorado advanced to midfield for one final play, and Salter’s Hail Mary attempt fell incomplete in the end zone as Tech held on, 27-20.
Stats
Salter led the game in passing with 159 yards, while King threw for 143. King led all players in rushing with 156 yards and three scores. Mike Welch led Colorado with 64 rushing yards. Bailey Stockton led all receivers with 48 yards, while Colorado’s Miller led the Buffaloes in receiving with his 39-yard reception.
Tech did not force a turnover, but did forced five punts and their goal line sack on third down forced a Colorado field goal. The Jackets were penalized eight times for 65 yards, including two personal fouls on Colorado’s first scoring drive of the second half and back-to-back false starts in the fourth quarter.
From the presser
Key opened the press conference by thanking the fans: “There were a lot of people from Georgia Tech who came out here to Colorado, and it doesn’t go without saying how thankful we all are of our fan support and we hope that continues.”
Haynes and Haynes were asked what rallied the team after the three early turnovers, and King said, “I don’t think we did anything to rally. We knew what we were capable of. We preach stuff like this… what is the outcome we want, what are the events that transpired, and what is your response to those.”
On the play that led to Tech’s final touchdown, Jamal Haynes said the team thinks of it as an “automatic five yards. That’s one of our favorite plays… we know what to do, we know what to expect.”
Senior guard Keylan Rutledge praised King’s grit, calling him “tough as a two-dollar steak.”
Asked if he felt frustrated about having to defend so much after the flurry of turnovers, Van den Berg said, “I get excited, I want to run straight into the fire. That’s my job.”
