Georgia Tech kicks off Week 1 of the college football season with Thursday’s matchup at Bobby Dodd Stadium against Colorado.
It’s a return to Atlanta for Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who had a distinguished career with the Falcons and the Braves.
Colorado at Georgia Tech
Kickoff: 8 p.m. Thursday, Bobby Dodd Stadium
TV: ESPN
Outlook: Both teams are bringing in new offensive and defensive coordinators, so there could be some growing pains on both sides of the ball. Tech won last season’s opener, 27-20, at Colorado.
Here’s some pregame reading to get caught up:
Tech did everything it needed on the final possession — except for finishing it with a field goal.
Alberto Mendoza led a masterful drive that started at Tech's 25 with 37 seconds left. On the first play, he hit Dalen Penson for a 42-yard play to get to Colorado's 33. A couple of 3-yard plays later, Tech has a chance to win it with a 45-yard field-goal attempt from Aidan Birr.
But Colorado's defense got inside and cornerback Boo Carter was able to block the attempt, ending the game and sending the Buffaloes fans in the southeast corner of the stadium into a frenzy.
Colorado got a 20-yard pass from Julian Lewis to tight end Charlie Williams to take a 14-13 lead with 37 seconds left.
It was a nine-play, 75-yard drive, and it answered Tech's long possession that ended with a field goal.
Tech has to get within Aidan Birr's field-goal range to have a chance to win it.
Aidan Birr kicked a 29-yard field goal and Georgia Tech extended its lead to 13-7 with 1:40 left.
The kick capped a 13-play, 68-yard drive that took 5:55 off the clock and left Colorado with just 1:40 to try to get a potential tying touchdown and possibly a game-winning extra point.
This has been Georgia Tech's best offensive possession of the game, taking the ball at their 21 and driving inside the Colorado 15, at the two-minute warning.
It's been a mix of nice runs by Justice Haynes and pinpoint passing by Alberto Mendoza, who found Jordan Allen for a 21-yard pass play on third-and-8 to extend the drive.
Haynes had an 11-yard run on third-and-1 that helped keep things going, and on a third-and-3 from the 29 that could have made for a tougher field goal, Mendoza hit Kevin Roche Jr. for a 16-yarder to get inside the red zone.
Colorado got inside the red zone and threatened, but Tech was able to block a 38-yard field-goal attempt, as Kevin Roche Jr. — who is 6-foot-9 — penetrated and got his hands up to tip the kick.
It was a time-consuming possession, as Colorado used up half of the quarter to get in position for the potential game-tying field goal, only to come up empty.
Tech gets the ball back with 7:35 left and a chance to drain the clock and hold the lead.
Both offenses have struggled, and the flow hasn't allowed for either to get a good rhythm going.
The one touchdown on offense that's been scored was Colorado's drive that started on Georgia Tech's 35.
And Tech's only score touchdown came on special teams. It's been a tough go for both squads in sustaining drives and cashing in with points.
Between the penalties, reviews and inability to move the ball, this game has very little flow to it. The rain delay was a harbinger of things to come.
Even on running plays, when the clock would normally be running, it's stopping to handle penalties. With the number of incomplete passes (18-of-38), that's also stopping the clock and making the game drag a bit.
It was a sloppy end to the first half, but Tech still holds the lead.
Alberto Mendoza had a really good first half, going 8-of-12 for 105 yards, but the big play was the 105-yard kickoff return by Rahkeem Smith.
Colorado hadn't been able to throw the ball effectively, as quarterback Julian Lewis is just 6-of-14 for 41 yards. But the Buffaloes got on the scoreboard with a touchdown run by Micah Welch.
Penalties hurt Tech, in addition to a few questionable calls on video review.
Alberto Mendoza had been really good with the ball in his hands. He's made good decisions about when to throw and not, and he's been accurate with his passes.
His throw to Jordan Allen was the best yet, with a scramble to get away from a horde of defenders, then composing himself and finding Allen in the middle of the field for a 23-yard gain, giving the Jackets first-and-goal.
Tech wasn't able to get the ball in the end zone and settled for a field goal from Aidan Birr, for a 10-7 lead, at 2:03 2Q.
Rahkeem Smith's kickoff return (about 105 yards) was the fifth kickoff of 100-plus yards in school history.
It was Smith's first touch in his Georgia Tech career; he played in the bowl game last season, but he didn't have any touches.
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