Julian Lewis hit Charlie Williams with a 20-yard touchdown pass with 37 seconds left, Boo Carter blocked Aidan Birr’s 45-yard field goal try on the final play, and the Colorado Buffaloes rallied to beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 14-13, in Atlanta on Thursday night.
Lewis had 60 of his 124 passing yards on the final drive and finished 14-for-27, Micah Welch ran for 58 yards and a touchdown and Damien Henderson II added 65 rushing yards for Colorado (1-0).
After Colorado drove 75 yards without a timeout to take the lead in the final minute, Alberto Mendoza connected with Dalen Penson for 42 yards, and Georgia Tech used three more plays to inch forward to the Buffaloes’ 27 with three seconds left. Carter came off the left edge and got a hand on Birr’s kick to seal the win.
Rahkeem Smith returned a kick 100 yards for a score, Mendoza was 17-for-23 passing for 237 yards, Jordan Allen had eight receptions for 113 yards and transfer Justice Haynes rushed for 64 yards for Georgia Tech (0-1).
Both teams squandered chances to score in the first quarter. Birr missed a 35-yard field goal at the end of Georgia Tech’s first drive, and Colorado was stopped on fourth down on the Yellow Jackets’ 1-yard line.
Georgia Tech failed to get a first down, and the Buffaloes took possession at the Yellow Jackets’ 35.
After an incomplete pass, Welch rushed four straight times and punched it in from the 5-yard line to give Colorado a 7-0 lead, but Smith returned the ensuing kick 100 yards to tie it with 12:52 left in the second quarter.
Georgia Tech drove 92 yards on its next possession to set up Birr’s 22-yard field goal to make it 10-7 at halftime.
Colorado had a chance to tie it midway through the fourth quarter but Shymeik Jones blocked Daniel Gerlach’s 38-yard field goal attempt with 7:35 left.
The Yellow Jackets responded by driving to the Buffaloes’ 11, and Birr’s 29-yard field goal with 1:40 remaining made it 13-7.