Freshman quarterback Julian Lewis just made his Colorado debut one to remember. His 20-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Williams with 42 seconds left lifted the Buffaloes to a 14-13 win over Georgia Tech in the season opener.
Lewis was the highest-rated recruit in Colorado history when he committed, and the pressure on him to be an immediate difference-maker is the kind of thing that has broken plenty of freshmen before him. He passed his first big test.
The game itself was ugly. Colorado’s offense sputtered for most of the night and the defense had to keep them in it. But when the moment came, the freshman did not blink.
Deion Sanders has been talking Lewis up all offseason, and now the country got a glimpse of why. The kid has the poise of a fourth-year starter and an arm that can make every throw on the field.
Charlie Williams also announced himself as a name to know. The tight end has been buried on depth charts his whole career and finally got the target he deserved on the biggest stage of his life.
Georgia Tech has to be sick. The Yellow Jackets controlled most of the game and had a chance to close it out. Their defense broke on the drive that mattered and Brent Key is going to have some tough film sessions this week.
For Colorado, this win matters way beyond the standings. Deion needed a signature moment to prove that his rebuilding project was more than just Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Julian Lewis just gave him one.
The Big 12 is wide open this year and a healthy Colorado with a functional quarterback situation is a legitimate dark horse. If Lewis grows even slightly over the course of the season, this team could be dangerous by November.
Fresh season, fresh energy in Boulder. That is a good place for Colorado to be after last year’s disappointment.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
