As Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes march into Atlanta to face Brent Key’s Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, there are numerous question marks for both teams.
The rosters and coaching staffs have been completely overturned from Week 1’s matchup in 2025, and now the season opener is finally here. A collision course a year in the making, the Buffs and Jackets will each want a victory to start the year.
Until kickoff at 8 p.m. ET at Bobby Dodd Stadium, nobody will really know what either team will look like. But, here are five things Colorado can do to help them secure an upset victory on the road:
Control the trenches: As always in football, it starts up front. Colorado will have to be physical with their offensive line to establish the run game early. In Offensive Coordinator Brennan Marion’s scheme, downhill running is a requirement.
The easiest way for a team to get settled in on the road in a hostile environment is to be able to consistently run the ball. Throughout fall camp, there has been praise for the big boys up front who will have to make a statement Thursday night.
Equally as important will be the way CU’s defense stops the run. Georgia Tech had over 300 yards of rushing and three touchdowns on the ground in their previous matchup, allowing them to control the tempo.
With a new defensive coordinator in Chris Marve, who is playing a 4-3 scheme, stopping GT’s backs will be a top priority. The Yellow Jackets have two legitimate threats in Justice Haynes (857 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Malachi Hosley (697 yards, 7 touchdowns), who the Buffs will have to be aware of, and limit.
Keep it simple for Lewis: In just his second season of college football, quarterback Julian Lewis is prepared to be the season-long starter for Colorado. With a young, inexperienced QB, Marion needs to keep the offense simple.
Let the reads to happen easily and get Lewis into a rhythm. Not forcing him to have to be the hero and building his confidence would be smart. With Lewis being from Georgia, the home feel adds to the pressure for him to perform.
The fewer chances for Lewis to be put in harm's way, the better CU’s offense will be. Ultimately, the QB is the most important position, and good play will lead to success for the Buffs.
Pressure Mendoza: On the opposite side, the Yellow Jackets will be playing a raw quarterback as well in Alberto Mendoza, who will be making his first career start. Although he played in spurts for Indiana in 2025, he will now field the full pressure of being the top guy.
Defensively, Marve needs to dial up the pressure to prevent Mendoza from gaining momentum in the pass game. Continuing to change up the looks and coverage will make him have to think more and slow down his play.
Keeping Mendoza uncomfortable and forcing the Yellow Jackets to play one-dimensionally will be key. The defense needs to make GT have negative plays.
Win the turnover battle: With two inexperienced teams playing with each other, limiting turnovers is a must. Even if it is just one, any change in the game could swing momentum and give the other an opportunity to score.
Maybe even more important for the Buffs than getting turnovers is scoring off of them. In 2025, they forced three but only mustered seven points, eventually losing the game.
Lewis and company need to protect the ball, while the defense hunts for it. Even more so, being on the road means the Buffs have to play sound football and protect it.
Proper game management: At the end of Coach Prime’s 2025 loss, there was a final drive where the Buffs used zero of their two remaining timeouts on a drive where they went scoreless. Questionable clock management was certainly one reason the Buffs may have lost.
With a new staff and a new team, preparing and practicing game scenarios is important to their ability to win. They cannot shoot themselves in the foot against a disciplined team that's ready to play.
If the Buffs are going to win, they need great game management and must control the flow. Any small mistakes that cost timeouts or cause penalties can’t happen with such a high volume of new faces.
While many things have to occur in a football game for a team to win, if the Buffs are able to check off these boxes, they will have a better chance at victory in Georgia.
Full breakdown and game preview coming soon
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