Why Deion Sanders Blamed For ‘Poor Time Management’ In Colorado Buffaloes Loss

The Colorado Buffaloes lost to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 27-20 in their season opener. After the game, Colorado coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes were criticized for 'poor time management' on the Buffaloes offense's final drive.

Apr 4, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders speaks to the media at the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. | Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes opened the season with a 27-20 loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at home on Friday, Aug. 29. Colorado coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes were unable to get the win after Georgia Tech committed three turnovers in the first quarter.

After the game, Sanders and Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur were criticized for not using the Buffaloes' two remaining timeouts on the final drive.

Colorado's Final Drive

Down 27-20 in the fourth quarter, Colorado's offense had one last possession with 1:07 remaining in the game. The Buffaloes ran two plays in 43 seconds, only gaining nine total yards. As a result, Colorado only had enough time to run four more plays, including two Hail Mary attempts from Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter.

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders congratulates Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) following a touchdown pass in the first quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

ESPN's Dusty Dvoracek called the game in Boulder, Colorado, and he spoke about Sanders' decision not to call any timeouts with ESPN's Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter:

"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," said Dvoracek.

"The last thing you ever want to do in a situation like this is it comes down to the end and you're fighting with the clock, is to the end the game with multiple timeouts in your pocket," Dvoracek continued. "That's something that Coach Sanders, Coach Shurmur has got to learn from and get better from moving forward. And same goes for the quarterback Kaidon Salter."

What Deion Sanders Said

After the game, Sanders spoke to the media about what happened on Colorado's last drive.

Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks with the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

"I think we got out of bounds a couple of times. We didn’t have to take ‘em. So that’s what transpired. We got out of bounds, I think, on both sidelines, and that’s what happened. After the first, we had a good play, and we caught the ball with nine yards. We got one yard to go, so if you get the first down, the clock stops. So, it don’t make sense to really use your timeout in that sense," said Sanders.

"We were really just trying to preserve them until we certainly needed them, so I don’t want to go home with timeouts. They don’t do me no good, but you’ve got to be strategic," Sanders continued.

Colorado Buffaloes Lose Season Opener

The Buffaloes defense made an impact early, but the Yellow Jackets offense finished with 463 total yards and were 6/11 on third down conversions. Salter and kicker Alejandro Mata kept the Buffaloes in the game, but Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King stole the show with three rushing touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets.

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King did turn the ball over three times as Colorado inside linebacker Martavius French recovered two fumbles and Buffaloes cornerback DJ McKinney intercepted King in the opening frame alone.

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) runs for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Despite the early turnovers from Georgia Tech, Salter and the Buffaloes offense only scored one touchdown off of the three turnovers. In the first quarter, Salter found Colorado running back DeKalon Taylor in the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown pass.

After the slow start, King finished the game with 143 passing yards and 156 rushing yards.

At halftime, the Buffaloes trailed 13-10, and they never reclaimed their first quarter lead. Before heading into the locker room, Sanders spoke to ESPN's Taylor McGregor about Salter's performance.

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the first quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

"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," said Sanders.