Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 4

Colorado Edges Georgia Tech 14-13 as Deion Sanders Cites 183 Rushing Yards Against Critics

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 4

Colorado Edges Georgia Tech 14-13 as Deion Sanders Cites 183 Rushing Yards Against Critics

Q: How did a true freshman quarterback save Deion Sanders' job in the final seconds of a chaotic 2026 season opener?

A true freshman, Julian Lewis, likely bought Deion Sanders crucial time by engineering the game-winning drive in the final minute of Colorado’s 14-13 upset at Georgia Tech. Sanders entered the opener under pressure after last season’s 3-9 finish and widespread questions about his security. Lewis struggled for much of the night, but in the defining moment he delivered. He led Colorado roughly 75 yards late, then threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to Charlie Williams with about 37 to 42 seconds left, depending on the game account. That play turned a six-point deficit into a one-point lead and changed the entire narrative around Sanders’ start to 2026. Lewis’ final line was modest — 14 of 27 for 124 yards and one touchdown — but the timing mattered more than the volume. Sanders said he challenged Lewis publicly at halftime to “be that man,” and Lewis responded when the game was on the line. Colorado still needed one more escape. After Georgia Tech quickly moved into field-goal range, Boo Carter blocked Aidan Birr’s 45-yard attempt as time expired. That preserved the win, but Lewis had already supplied the pivotal answer by producing the only offensive touchdown Colorado needed in the closing seconds. In practical terms, one opener does not fully decide a coach’s future. But given Sanders’ hot-seat backdrop, Lewis’s late touchdown drive prevented an 0-1 start, delivered a road upset as a 6.5-point underdog, and stopped the pressure from intensifying immediately.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 4

42 seconds from defeat, Colorado flipped its opener when quarterback Julian Lewis found Charlie Williams for a 20-yard touchdown and a 14-13 lead.
Boo Carter then blocked Aidan Birr's 45-yard field-goal try, sealing the road win after Georgia Tech's offense failed to score a touchdown.
183 rushing yards to 51 gave Deion Sanders his sharpest rebuttal to critics, as he highlighted Colorado's physical edge after questions about the Buffaloes' size.
The victory opens a 2026 schedule that next brings Weber State before September games against Northwestern and Baylor and a tougher October stretch.