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Deion Sanders’ late gamble backfired spectacularly on Colorado

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 10:30 AM ET

Deion Sanders took a huge gamble Friday and lost big during Colorado’s season opener against Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets scored a touchdown to take a 27-20 lead over the Buffaloes with just over a minute left at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. Coach Prime’s squad had 1:07 from their own 25 to potentially force overtime.

Quarterback Kaidon Salter checked down to Micah Welch for a loss of two yards to begin the drive. The play burned 16 seconds off the clock. Salter then connected with wide receiver Hykeem Williams for 11 yards, one shy of a first down.

But instead of calling one of Colorado’s two remaining timeouts, Sanders had his team keep going. Salter ended up scrambling out of bounds for a five-yard gain that took 10 more seconds off the clock.

God forbid Colorado actually knows what they’re doing with their timeouts pic.twitter.com/QHOYel1Gh7
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) August 30, 2025

Over the final 18 seconds, the Buffaloes were able to run three more pass plays before the clock ran out on them. One play got them to the 50-yard line, while the other two were incomplete.

Sanders inexplicably kept the timeouts in his pocket the entire time as Colorado lost 27-20.

Coach Prime may have wanted to prevent Georgia Tech from setting up its defense during a timeout. But rather than using the element of surprise to its advantage, Colorado looked like the team unprepared for its last-minute drive.

It’s also possible that Sanders just had a clock management misfire that seriously cost his team.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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