Stephen A. Smith Blasts Colorado Buffaloes: Fair or Unfair?

"The biggest takeaway that I got from this: Colorado ain't going no damn place, and 'Prime Time,' Deion Sanders would agree with me. They ain't going no damn place if they're going to give up 320 yards rushing. They gotta stop the run, and they ain't do that. That's a problem," said Smith.

As mentioned by Smith, Georgia Tech finished the game with 320 yards on the ground, led by 156 rushing yards from Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King. Tied 20-20 with under two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Colorado defense allowed King to run for a 45-yard touchdown that ultimately won Georgia Tech the game.

"I mean, Georgia Tech ran all over them. I mean c'mon. You've got to do better," Smith continued. "If you can't defend the run, which was a problem you had last year, particularly in losses, by the way. It was a problem you had last year. If you don't get that together, they ain't going anywhere."

In 2024, Colorado's defense gave up an average of 151.4 rushing yards per game. Led by King, Georgia Tech boasts a dynamic rushing attack, but if the Buffaloes cannot stop the run, it could be a long season for "Coach Prime" and company.

Smith Compares Kaidon Salter to Shedeur Sanders

Smith also had an interesting take on Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter and compared Salter's performance to former Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders. Smith posed an impossible hypothetical, claiming that Sanders would have won this game for Colorado.

"The biggest takeaway of this season debut is that this quarterback (Kaidon Salter) that's replacing Shedeur Sanders, I like him. I mean, I believe Shedeur Sanders would have won this game whereas he lost it. He didn't lose it, but I'm just saying I think that Shedeur Sanders would have won those games in those particular situations. Because there were a couple of throws he missed, okay, that were touchdowns. He missed them, so I look at it from that standpoint," Smith said on First Take.

While Smith might have a point about Colorado's run defense struggling against Georgia Tech, he's being a bit unfair towards Salter.

Salter rushed for one touchdown and threw for another in the loss to Georgia Tech, completing 17 of 28 of his passing attempts for 159 yards. The Colorado quarterback's 43 rushing yards were second-most on the Buffaloes, behind only Buffaloes running back Micah Welch.

After the game, "Coach Prime" praised Salter for his performance, but Sanders did say that he wanted to see Salter use his legs more.

Salter and the Buffaloes will have a chance to get back on track against Delaware on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 1:30 p.m. MT.