Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Colorado opens 2025 season with frustrating loss to Georgia Tech

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 10:28 AM ET

The 2025 season is critical for head coach Deion Sanders and the University of Colorado Buffaloes.

Not only is it Coach Prime's third year running the program, but it is his first year without his son, former quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and dual-threat superstar Travis Hunter, who carried the offense.

It will now be up to the program that Deion is building.

The season got off to a disappointing start on Friday night in a 27-20 loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

It wasn't just the fact that Colorado lost — it was the way it lost, giving up a 45-yard touchdown run to Haynes King with just over a minute to play in regulation to break a 20-20 tie.

HAYNES KING WITH A 45-YARD RUSHING TD TO GIVE GEORGIA TECH THE LEAD LATE IN THE 4TH

HIS THIRD RUSHING TD OF THE GAME pic.twitter.com/uXWWYIqUK1
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 30, 2025

King, Georgia Tech's starting quarterback, had a dominant night on the ground with 156 yards on 19 carries, including three touchdowns. Colorado had no answers for his ground game all night, and it more than made up for a pedestrian night throwing the football.

Along with struggling to stop King, Colorado's offense also looked rather pedestrian in its first game since the departure of Shedeur and Hunter to the NFL.

New quarterback Kaidon Salter completed just 17-of-28 passes for only 159 yards and a touchdown, while no wide receiver had more than 39 yards through the air.

On one hand, this was a tough test for Colorado to begin the season. Georgia Tech won seven games a year ago and entered the season as a sleeper contender in the ACC.

However, the Yellow Jackets are not really an elite team, and it's the type of game you would like to see Colorado win, at home, in year three of Deion's tenure on the sideline.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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