Did Coach Prime and the Buffs fumble more than just the ball in their season opener? The Colorado Buffaloes are under fire for their late-game clock management against Georgia Tech, leaving fans and analysts questioning their strategy. Was it a critical coaching error or a tough learning curve for a new season?
The highly anticipated season opener for the **Colorado Buffaloes Football** program culminated in a disappointing 27-20 loss to the **Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets**, igniting a firestorm of criticism directed at head coach **Deion Sanders** and his coaching staff, particularly concerning their late-game **clock management** decisions. The Friday, August 29th contest at Folsom Field saw a dramatic finish, but not the one fans of the **Colorado Buffaloes** had hoped for, highlighting critical strategic missteps under pressure.
With just 1:07 remaining in the fourth quarter and trailing by seven points, the **Colorado Buffaloes** offense embarked on what was to be their final possession, holding two precious timeouts. However, the sequence of plays that followed raised significant questions, as the team utilized 43 seconds for merely two plays, gaining a meager nine yards and failing to stop the clock effectively. This crucial lapse in situational awareness effectively squandered opportunities for more offensive attempts, despite the expertise brought by offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur.
The critical misjudgment in **clock management** left the **Colorado Buffaloes** with insufficient time to mount a legitimate comeback attempt. This forced quarterback **Kaidon Salter** into two desperation “Hail Mary” throws, both of which fell incomplete, sealing the fate of the game. The inability to maximize the remaining game time and available timeouts became the focal point of post-game analysis and fan frustration, underlining the steep learning curve for a program under intense national scrutiny in **College Football**.
Expert analysts were quick to voice their concerns, with Dvoracek explicitly stating, “Really poor clock management. There’s really no other way to look at it. Maybe even after the first play, you call a timeout. Definitely after the second play. You gotta call a timeout. Every second is so precious in that scenario, and you got two timeouts in your back pocket.” This sentiment echoed widely, emphasizing that ending a close game with unused timeouts is often seen as a fundamental coaching error in **NCAA Football**.
Despite the offensive struggles, the Colorado Buffaloes defense made a strong impact early in the game, forcing three turnovers from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first quarter alone. Inside linebacker Martavius French recovered two fumbles, and cornerback DJ McKinney secured an interception, providing the offense with prime opportunities. However, this defensive prowess was ultimately overshadowed by the team’s inability to capitalize on these crucial takeaways, scoring only one touchdown directly from the three turnovers.
Conversely, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets offense, led by quarterback Haynes King, managed to amass 463 total yards and maintain a solid 6-of-11 conversion rate on third downs, illustrating their resilience. King, despite his three turnovers, proved to be a dominant force, particularly with three rushing touchdowns that kept the Yellow Jackets ahead and ultimately secured their victory over the Colorado Buffaloes. His performance underscored the challenges faced by the Buffaloes’ defensive unit as the game progressed.
Even with Kaidon Salter connecting with running back DeKalon Taylor for an eight-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter—the lone touchdown off a turnover—the Colorado Buffaloes Football team struggled to find offensive consistency. This inability to convert defensive stops into significant offensive production became another critical factor in their season-opening loss, highlighting areas for immediate improvement for Deion Sanders‘ squad.
Reflecting on the performance, Coach Deion Sanders acknowledged the offensive challenges, stating, “He’s playing good. Solid game. We just gotta be more productive offensively. We started off going right down the darn field then we had some hiccups. Defensively, I think it’s a couple of bad plays on third down, and that’s why they’re up right now.” His comments suggest an awareness of the need for both strategic adjustments and improved execution moving forward in their College Football campaign.
