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Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) passes the ball in the fourth quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes Have Work To Do In 2025

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By Arjun Peroor | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 6:18 PM ET

The Colorado Buffaloes, on Friday, played against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and looked underwhelming on their opening weekend. After a fast start, the team was stuck in the mud for a good portion of the game before making some plays late in the fourth. It’s only one game, but there are some major concerns they need to address.

Still Losing In The Trenches

The Buffs, under Deion Sanders, have played tremendous football. He helped a team that won one game in 2022 to a 9-4 season last year. Two things, though, that have been a constant issue for this team has been the offensive and defensive line.

In this game, that trend unfortunately continued. Colorado was unable to stop the run at any point. The Yellow Jackets ran for 320 yards, led by Haynes King (19 carries for 156 yards and three touchdowns).

Getting tormented on the ground by a quarterback to this extent is not a good look. When the run game can’t be stopped, the pass rush is ineffective, and the guys on the defensive line get winded.

Colorado’s offensive line was average in run blocking. The running game wasn’t poor but wasn’t great either, as it produced 146 rushing yards on 31 carries. For CU to be successful, they will need a dynamic ground game, popping off a lot of big runs.

Runs that go for four or five yards are fine when the passing game is the strength of the team, but last night showed that it might be a work in progress. New quarterback Kaidon Salters had an average game, throwing for 159 yards and one touchdown with no turnovers.

Last year, the Buffs were able to get away with having a mediocre ground game because Shedeur Sanders would put up big numbers. Salters is not as dynamic physically as Sanders, so the run game needs to improve for this team to compete.

Unable To Seize The Momentum

The game started as perfectly as it could have for the Buffaloes. Georgia Tech turned the ball over on its opening possession, and CU immediately cashed in with a nice touchdown pass from Salters to Dekalon Taylor.

The Yellow Jackets turned it over in their next two possessions, and Colorado did absolutely nothing with it. This was where the Buffs lost the game. With a shot at going up 13-0, 17-0, or possibly 21-0, the score remained 7-0.

Only being down a touchdown allowed Georgie Tech to do what they do best, which is run the ball. Had they been trailing by multiple scores, they would have been more reluctant to run at a high volume.

The catalyst for Colorado failing to widen the lead was its bland offense. It felt like the team did not trust Salters to throw farther than 15 yards. There were a lot of swing passes to the running backs that went nowhere.

One of the few times they dialed up a deep shot, it worked. It was a deep pass down the left sideline to Omarion Miller that went for 39 yards. That play made Miller the leading receiver on the day. That can’t happen.

Open up the passing game more. Salters wasn’t perfect, but he is certainly capable of making some big throws downfield. Keep the defense honest so it can open things up for the run game.

End Of Colorado Buffaloes Rant

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders on the sidelines in the second quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The end of the game was also not pretty. With a minute left, down seven, the Buffs had a chance to tie the game. They called their first timeout when the clock dwindled down to 13 seconds. The clock management has to be better.

For Colorado, it’s the little things that bite them, and if they can clean that up, they can still have a good season. It is only one game, so a lot of this may come off as an overreaction. When the same issues from seasons past come up, however, it is hard not to worry.

It was still a good game to watch, so it’s not like the Buffs got outclassed. They just need to figure some things out moving forward, and if there is one thing that Coach Prime does well, it is figuring things out.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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