Former Colorado Athletic Director Gets Last Laugh in Exchange With Shannon Sharpe

Shannon Sharpe criticized Colorado before the finish in Atlanta, but former Buffaloes athletic director Rick George made sure the Hall of Famer caught the wild finish.

Jul 20, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Former NFL football player Shannon Sharpe in attendance of the WNBA All Star Game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe had seen enough before the Colorado Buffaloes had finished. With Thursday night’s game at Georgia Tech still going, the Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end posted four face-palm emojis and one line on X.

“Can’t even lie. It’s painful watching the Buffs,” Sharpe wrote.

Julian Lewis threw for 60 of his 124 yards on Colorado’s 75-yard winning drive | Julian Lewis/CU Buffs

Colorado athletic Rick George got the chance to answer after the ending changed.

He quote-posted Sharpe with five words: “Hope you watched to the end!”

George had a point, but so did Sharpe when he posted. Colorado eventually escaped Atlanta with a 14-13 win, and almost everything that happened before the final 1:40 of the game made it easy to understand why the game looked so frustrating in real time.

Shannon Sharpe had plenty to dislike before Colorado’s finish

Colorado had chances to make the night easier and kept leaving points behind. In the first quarter, the Buffaloes recovered a Georgia Tech fumble at the Yellow Jackets’ 26-yard line, survived a disputed fumble ruling of their own and still came away empty when DeKalon Taylor was stopped at the 1 on fourth-and-goal from the 3.

Can’t even lie. It’s painful watching the Buffs. 🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) September 4, 2026

Running back Micah Welch finally broke the scoreless start with a 5-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. The lead lasted 14 seconds. However, Yellow jackets receiver Rahkeem Smith took the next kickoff 100 yards for Georgia Tech’s first kickoff-return touchdown since Jahmyr Gibbs did it in 2021.

Colorado then closed the half with three straight drops. The third quarter brought a possession that lasted nearly seven minutes and still ended in a punt. Later, the Buffaloes drove inside the Georgia Tech 20 before tight end Kevin Roche Jr. blocked Buffs kicker Daniel Gerlach’s 38-yard field-goal attempt with 7:35 left.

By the time Yellow Jackets kicker Aidan Birr made a 29-yard field goal with 1:40 remaining, Georgia Tech led 13-7. Colorado had gone 42 minutes and 29 seconds of game clock without scoring since Welch’s touchdown.

Julian Lewis and Boo Carter gave Rick George his reply

The final two possessions changed the tone without changing how difficult the first 58 minutes had been. Colorado took over at its own 25 with 1:40 left and no timeouts. Quarterback Julian Lewis had fewer than 70 passing yards at that point.

Lewis completed the drive with 60 passing yards, nearly half of his total for the night. Colorado went 75 yards, and Lewis found tight end Charlie Williams for a 20-yard touchdown with 37 seconds left. The extra point put the Buffaloes ahead 14-13.

Georgia Tech still had an answer. Quarterback Alberto Mendoza hit wide receiver Dalen Penson for 42 yards to move the Yellow Jackets into Colorado territory. With three seconds left, Birr tried a 45-yard field goal for the win. Defensive back Boo Carter came off the left edge and blocked it as time expired.

Lewis finished 14-of-27 for 124 yards. The numbers were modest, but 60 of those yards came when Colorado had one possession left to save the opener.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders runs onto the field before the game against the North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Shannon Sharpe saw Colorado fix what bothered him last year

Sharpe’s frustration with this matchup did not begin Thursday. After Georgia Tech ran for 320 yards in a 27-20 win at Folsom Field last season, he used an episode of Nightcap to question Colorado’s run fits and discipline.

“I was disgusted watching this game. What about gap integrity? What about contain? Georgia Tech has run the football since I was a kid,” Sharpe said. “This is utterly ridiculous.”

Hope you watched to the end! https://t.co/Y0XShjayky

— Rick George (@RickGeorgeCU) September 4, 2026

That part of the matchup looked completely different in Atlanta in 2026. Colorado defensive coordinator Chris Marve’s defense held Georgia Tech to 51 net rushing yards on 30 carries and did not allow an offensive touchdown. Junior defensive lineman Lamont Lester Jr. recorded three sacks in his Colorado debut.

Mendoza threw for 237 yards, but the Yellow Jackets never reached the end zone on offense. Their only touchdown came on Smith’s kickoff return. Colorado also rushed for 183 yards in Brennan Marion’s first game as offensive coordinator.

Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter (23) runs during Tennessee football preseason practice, in Knoxville, Tennessee, July 31, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Rick George could enjoy the ending without ignoring Shannon Sharpe’s point

Sharpe’s post was made before Colorado produced its best offensive possession of the night. George’s reply came with the benefit of knowing how the final two drives ended. Both reaction fit different parts of the same game.

Colorado was picked 15th in the 16-team Big 12 preseason media poll and opened the season as an underdog in Atlanta. The Buffaloes did not look polished for long stretches, but Deion Sanders left Bobby Dodd Stadium with the result that mattered most.

Last year, Sharpe wanted Colorado to prove it could handle Georgia Tech’s run game. Thursday, the Buffaloes did that. The offense gave him plenty to complain about for most of the night, then Lewis used the final 1:40 to make George’s reply possible.

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