Julian Lewis, Boo Carter lift Colorado past Georgia Tech

01What Happened

Colorado opened 2026 with a 14–13 road win over Georgia Tech on Thursday, Sept. 3, rallying from a six-point deficit on Julian Lewis’ 20-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Williams with 37 seconds left before Boo Carter blocked the final field-goal attempt at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

The Buffaloes started the closing drive from their 25-yard line with no timeouts and trailed 13–7. Lewis found Williams, then Carter ended Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr’s last chance as time expired.

The Buffaloes needed the rescue. Georgia Tech’s Rahkeem Smith returned a kickoff 100 yards after Colorado took a 7–0 lead, and a bad snap disrupted Daniel Gerlach’s 38-yard field-goal attempt during a 17-play, 61-yard fourth-quarter drive. Birr’s 29-yard field goal with 1:40 remaining put the Yellow Jackets ahead before Lewis and Williams answered.

02Why This One Matters

Colorado controlled the game long enough to give its freshman quarterback one last chance. The Buffaloes ran 76 plays to Georgia Tech’s 53, held the ball for 34:09 and rushed for 183 yards on 49 carries. Georgia Tech managed 51 rushing yards on 30 attempts.

That ground game came from three backs. Damian Henderson II led Colorado with 65 yards on 12 carries. Micah Welch ran 13 times for 58 yards and a 5-yard touchdown, while JaQuail Smith had 42 yards on 10 carries. Welch also handled four straight runs for 35 yards on Colorado’s best first-half series before scoring.

The production kept Lewis from having to win the whole night through the air. He had an uneven game before the final drive, including a lost grip, a 15-yard sack and three incompletions to end the first half. The winning throw showed Lewis can deliver under pressure; it did not answer whether he can pass with more consistency before the final possession.

For Colorado, that distinction matters. The rushing attack and defense created enough room to survive Lewis’ rough stretches, then the freshman delivered when the game required one throw.

03What Most People Are Missing

Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza threw for 237 yards, but Colorado removed the Yellow Jackets’ ground game from the equation. Mendoza had to carry more of the offense while Georgia Tech averaged 1.7 yards per rushing attempt.

Lamont Lester Jr. led the pressure with three sacks. One came after Georgia Tech opened a second-half drive with a 30-yard completion and stopped the possession before it could develop. Chris Marve sent Randon Fontenette on a late safety blitz that helped end another key drive.

The four-man rush did not get to Mendoza often, but Lester provided the play that changed a drive. The Buffaloes also used Chauncey Gooden at left guard and defensive tackle, an unusual workload in a game shaped by trench play.

The offense stayed committed to runs between the tackles even after Georgia Tech loaded the box. Henderson, Welch and Smith combined for 35 carries, keeping Colorado’s possession advantage intact while the passing game searched for answers.

04What the Coaches Can Actually Change

Colorado can keep leaning on the rushing attack, but the opener exposed the cost of stalled possessions. Dropped passes and missed downfield opportunities left Georgia Tech within one score until the final minute. Lewis will need earlier completions when opponents make the run game harder to sustain.

Special teams need the faster correction. Smith’s kickoff return erased Colorado’s first lead, and Gerlach’s blocked kick turned a long drive into a chance for Georgia Tech to take control. Carter’s block became the deciding play, but it followed a night in which Colorado’s kicking operation and coverage nearly gave away the game.

05The Pate State Read

Colorado’s late touchdown was the image everyone will remember. The numbers behind it were 183 rushing yards, 34:09 of possession and a defense that held Georgia Tech to 51 yards on the ground.

That formula gave Colorado a chance to stay close while Lewis struggled. It also leaves a clear question after the win: whether the quarterback can produce more than one late escape when the Buffaloes face a defense that takes away the run.

06What to Watch Next

1. The rushing distribution: Against Weber State on Sept. 12, the box score will show whether Henderson, Welch and Smith continue to share the workload.

2. Lewis before the final drive: Watch whether he connects on downfield throws and converts passing opportunities earlier instead of waiting until Colorado needs a touchdown.

3. The kick operation: Clean snaps, reliable kickoff coverage and a field goal without a breakdown will show whether the special-teams problems were corrected.

Lewis’ final throw gave Colorado a 1–0 record and left the biggest quarterback question open beyond one drive.