The Colorado Buffaloes have turned the page on fall camp and have all eyes set on their road trip to Georgia Tech.
Although the teams played each other in Week 1 a year ago, this year’s matchup will feature four new coordinators, two different quarterbacks and the same two head coaches.
As Deion Sanders and Brent Key square off again, a key chess match to watch will be Colorado’s defensive coordinator Chris Marve versus Georgia Tech’s offensive coordinator George Godsey.
Historically, the Yellow Jackets have been a run-first football team that prides itself on physicality. In 2025, they ran for 197.5 yards per game and were led by quarterback Haynes King, who they are now without.
Colorado’s base front under Marve will be a 4-3 look, schemed to stop the run. With their uncertainty at quarterback, Godsey could be a step behind Marve’s unit, which has been fueled by elite linebacker play.
In Week 1, the Buffs defense feels they will have an advantage that comes from inside their practice walls. Competing against Brennan Marion’s Go-Go offense has prepared them for anything.
“Coach Marion challenges us every day,” linebacker Tyler Martinez said. “He comes out in the most exotic looks you'll ever see, and it challenges you to communicate with the defense and just do your job, versus trying to be a superhero making every play you can.”
With such unique rules and sets to look out for in the Go-Go, defensive players are required to think quicker. Martinez feels the game will slow down when facing Georgia Tech’s offense, which will be more traditional than Colorado’s.
“I think that's been the best thing for us because we're finally gonna get to go against somewhat of a normal offense and not go against Coach Marion's shifts and motions and all the crazy stuff he does,” Martinez said.
At the root of Marion’s scheme is a triple option threat that has been modernized to his liking. He creates multiple formations to run the same plays. These patterns have helped the linebackers find their run fit.
“It's definitely beneficial because going into an option offense, it tests every single rule of your defense; you get so many exotic looks,” linebacker Gideon Lampron said. “So they definitely have us prepared for like anything that we could see.”
Based on GT’s previous tendencies, their quarterback will also be involved in the run game. In 2025, CU gave up three rushing touchdowns to King, en route to their defeat.
However, in practice, the Buffs have seen that too. This season they will be more prepared to face a mobile QB than in the past.
“Anytime you practice fitting in a plus-one run game, which is when you account for the quarterback as well, it really helps,” linebacker Liona Lefau said. “It helps when we prepare for a team like Georgia Tech, who also runs their quarterback, or we're expecting them to run their quarterback.”
The confidence from Marve’s unit has been growing as it gets closer to kickoff. As the heartbeat of the scheme, their success will fuel the rest of the defense. Stopping the run and limiting Godey’s play calls will be a must.
Although coaches can put the players in the best position possible, they can’t go on the gridiron for them. The game will ultimately be won by whichever team's players are more prepared.
Linebacker coach Andre Hart has felt the energy from his trio of starters heading into the beginning of the season.
“What you see is a passion for the game, and a violence and aggression that they play with that we haven't seen to this point,” Hart said. “We're excited about the experience and how they take control of the defense.”
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