Deion Sanders has plenty of on and off-field challenges to balance heading into the Thursday night season opener in Atlanta. There is one less thing on his plate, and that is no threat of the QB who heavily damaged the Buffaloes last season. It definitely provides a major mental boost to the defensive game plan.
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“Truly a task. Going to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech,” Coach Prime said on August 31 at Colorado’s press conference. “Coach Key is one of my favorites. Played the game, tough. Hard no’s. He is a detailed coach. It’s going to be a tremendous challenge, but I love it. I absolutely love it.”
“The new parts of his staff are phenomenal guys that come from the professional level as well as the collegiate level. They’re playing a big role for him this season. Thank God the quarterback is gone. That kid refused to lose a year ago, and he was definitely a difference-maker. I think he had a what? A 140 rushing, something like that… This is a great team, though, man. I love it.”
The highly anticipated Week 1 non-conference showdown between Colorado and Georgia Tech kicks off on September 3. In the 2025 matchup, Haynes King single-handedly dismantled Colorado. He scampered for 156 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Yellow Jackets’ 27-20 win at Folsom Field.
Their last meeting on the field initially looked like a disaster for Georgia Tech. King threw a costly interception to Colorado cornerback DJ McKinney and put the ball on the turf for a fumble lost. However, instead of folding under the pressure, King completely pivoted the game plan.
The former Georgia Tech QB neutralized the Buffaloes’ pass rush by turning third downs into scramble drills. Colorado failed to sack King a single time the entire night. They allowed him to comfortably extend drives and wear down the defensive front. And he wasn’t alone in that. In total, Colorado allowed 320 rushing yards to Georgia Tech. The game a familiar tale from their disappointing 2025 campaign, in which the Buffs finished 3-9.
But despite that, Colorado’s offense was also in the game, and for the most part, it was a tight encounter. With the game knotted up at 20-20 late in the fourth quarter, Haynes King took the game into his own hands on a critical five-play drive. With just 1:07 remaining on the clock, King executed a perfect pitch-fake. He found a seam on the perimeter and ran 45 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Colorado could not answer the late-game heroics. It is understandable as to why Sanders is happy that he is gone.
While King is out of the picture, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key has reloaded the position by naming transfer Alberto Mendoza as the starter. Mendoza brings a distinctly different but equally dangerous dynamic to the field. The brother of Fernando Mendoza, who was a backup at Indiana last year, is highly mobile and thrives on engineered quarterback runs.
While Alberto Mendoza doesn’t possess the raw vertical arm strength or physical size of his older brother, Fernando Mendoza, he is expected to run Brent Key’s heavy run-pass options with high efficiency and mistake-free ball security.
Mendoza’s ground capabilities perfectly complement dynamic Yellow Jackets running back Justice Haynes, forcing Colorado’s new-look front seven to play strict assignment football.
Colorado’s starting quarterback, redshirt freshman Julian Lewis, will step onto the field in his home state. Lewis will be asked to orchestrate offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s unique, up-tempo “Go-Go” offense.
Out of the 24 players on Colorado’s active defensive two-deep, 22 are brand-new transfers. They were explicitly recruited for their baseline lateral speed and ability to play assignment-strict football against option offenses. Colorado brought in a wave of bulkier, more agile interior defensive linemen to close the exact rushing lanes King exploited.