Colorado 14-13 Georgia Tech (Sep 3, 2026) Final Score

Team pages: Colorado · Georgia Tech

Colorado1-014

Georgia Tech0-113Final

Thu, Sep 3 · Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta, Ga. · Crowd 52,113

Colorado beat Georgia Tech 14-13 as a 6.5-point underdog.

We had Georgia Tech favored. Colorado won.

Next: Colorado beat Weber State 52-21, Sat Sep 12

Next: Georgia Tech lost to Tennessee 45-24, Sat Sep 12

Top comment in the game thread

Straight up the ball was in the air when the ref blew the whistle.

Q1 4:12 · r/CFB game thread · Thu, Sep 3

How it swung

The turning point: Birr 45-yd field goal no good, blocked (Q4, 0:03). Colorado went from 58% to 100% to win. Fans right then: “If only GT still had those two timeouts…” r/CFB game thread

Before kickoff, our ratings gave Colorado a 17% chance, and the closing betting line (Colorado was a 6.5-point underdog) put it at 30%.

Kickoff return TD

Georgia Tech · Q2 12:52Blocked field goalQ4 7:35Blocked field goalQ4 0:03

FinalColorado 14-13 Georgia TechColorado wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.

The five plays that swung it

1Q2 13:06Welch 5-yd TD run, Colorado goes ahead 7-0Colorado 41% → 64% (+23)
2Q2 12:52Special teamsSmith 100-yd kickoff return TD, ties it 7-7Colorado 64% → 33% (−31)
3Q4 0:37Lewis 20-yd TD pass to Williams, Colorado goes ahead 14-13Colorado 26% → 64% (+38)
4Q4 0:37Mendoza 42-yd pass to PensonColorado 64% → 40% (−24)
5Q4 0:03Birr 45-yd field goal no good, blockedColorado 58% → 100% (+42)

The five plays that swung it

1Q2 13:06Welch 5-yd TD run, Colorado goes ahead 7-0Georgia Tech 59% → 36% (−23)
2Q2 12:52Special teamsSmith 100-yd kickoff return TD, ties it 7-7Georgia Tech 36% → 67% (+31)
3Q4 0:37Lewis 20-yd TD pass to Williams, Colorado goes ahead 14-13Georgia Tech 74% → 36% (−38)
4Q4 0:37Mendoza 42-yd pass to PensonGeorgia Tech 36% → 60% (+24)
5Q4 0:03Birr 45-yd field goal no good, blockedGeorgia Tech 42% → 0% (−42)

What fans said, play by play

The line in bold above each quote is written by our model from the thread’s comments and the play-by-play.

Q1 4:12Fans argue an early whistle killed a Colorado touchdown driveQuoted at the top of the page.The whistle didn't blow until the ball popped out. GT at minimum should get possessionr/CFB game thread
Q2 0:57Georgia Tech fans lament Mendoza's injury and sloppy play ending the half4th and buckhead 😭r/CFB game threadPlease tell me we didnt lose our QB on a 3rd and 25 play at the end of a half.r/CFB game thread
Q4 1:56Fans rage as announcers apologize for excessive commercial breaksLol even the announcer knows we're getting too many ads lmaor/CFB game threadLil 4th wall break there by the announcerr/CFB game thread
Q4 0:55Fans rip Georgia Tech for calling timeout before Colorado spikeWait Ga Tech took a timeout when CU was gonna spike the ball??????????????????r/CFB game threadIf only GT still had those two timeouts…r/CFB game thread

Colorado’s chance to win after every play.

How to read this chart

Starts from the pregame line (Georgia Tech -6.5), at 28% for Colorado (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores. Outlined diamonds mark rare plays. Under the scores, r/CFB comments per minute from fans with a Georgia Tech or Colorado flair (1,547 and 525); both sides share one scale, regulation only.

Kickoff came 23 minutes late. Thunder was reported at Atlanta/dekalb airport (8.8 miles away) from 6:53 p.m. to 7:03 p.m., around the delay.

Watch the plays

The bar and the arrow show Colorado’s chance to win after each play; the logo is the team the play helped.

Every drive

Colorado scored on 2 of its 10 drives; Georgia Tech on 3 of its 11.

Colorado’s drives are teal, Georgia Tech’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.

From Georgia Tech’s side

Georgia Tech’s best moment: Smith 100-yd kickoff return TD, ties it 7-7 (Q2 12:52). It lifted Georgia Tech’s win chance by 31 points.

How Georgia Tech fans took it: “I might never watch football again” r/CFB game thread

“That’s going to give our young QB alottt of confidence now. Has to feel good”

A Colorado fan

When fans got loud

Busy

The final stretch is when fans got loud.

Jump to the loudest stretch

The jump was busy; the crowd was roaring.

Two crowds, one game

The words each side’s fans used far more than the other side, from the game thread.

Colorado fans

deion“Absolutely badass that Deion gave the punter his number. As a kicker, it must have felt GREAT to be seen”

Both sets of fans kept coming back to: ball, run, now, back.

The winner fell to 3%.

What it cost

Georgia Tech’s chance to win the conference fell from 2% to 1%.

Win the conference

Colorado · won0% → 0%

Georgia Tech · lost2% → ▼1%

Before the game (September 3, 2026) → after this result, in our model.

Box score

Colorado 14, Georgia Tech 13

Colorado covered +6.5 by 7.5. The total, 27, stayed under 53.5.

Team totals	Colorado	Georgia Tech
Total yards	307	288
Passing	14 of 27, 124 yds	17 of 24, 237 yds
Rushing	49 for 183 yds	30 for 51 yds
First downs	21	17
Third down	7 of 17	5 of 13
Fourth down	2 of 3	0 of 0
Turnovers	0	1
Penalties	6 for 60 yds	9 for 49 yds
Time of possession	34:09	25:51

Colorado leaders

Passing Julian Lewis 14 of 27, 124 yds, 1 TD
Rushing Damian Henderson II 12 for 65 yds; Micah Welch 13 for 58 yds, 1 TD
Receiving DeAndre Moore Jr. 4 for 37 yds; Charlie Williams 2 for 28 yds, 1 TD

Georgia Tech leaders

Passing Alberto Mendoza 17 of 23, 237 yds
Rushing Justice Haynes 19 for 64 yds; Malachi Hosley 6 for 14 yds
Receiving Jordan Allen 8 for 113 yds; Dalen Penson 3 for 73 yds

Kickoff came 23 minutes late

78° at kickoff · no rain recorded · wind 2 mph from the north, gusts to 7

Thunder was reported at Atlanta/dekalb airport (8.8 miles away) from 6:53 p.m. to 7:03 p.m., around the delay.

September game-day temperatures at Bobby Dodd Stadium

Drag along the chart, or step through the game.

Fourth quarter, 0:03 left11:44 p.m.

Colorado 14, Georgia Tech 13 · Georgia Tech 0% to win

no rain · wind 1 mph from the northwest · 75°

Birr 45-yd field goal no good, blocked

Measured at Atlanta/fulton Co. airport, 7.3 miles away, and Atlanta/dekalb airport, 8.8 miles away. Rain is NOAA's radar-and-gauge estimate at the stadium and wind is an airport reading; neither is measured on the field. Game times come from the play-by-play, good to a minute or two. Source: National Weather Service, through the Iowa Environmental Mesonet; rain radar from NOAA MRMS, through Iowa State University. Field direction from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Before kickoff

Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.

Recent games

Last three games · 2025 season

Colorado · 3-9

Rated 163rd in our preseason ratings.

L 14-24 @ Kansas StateTop 25 #32 of 667

lost by 10 as a 16.5-point underdog

L 17-42 vs Arizona StateTop 25 #35 of 667

lost by 25 as a 6.5-point underdog

L 22-29 @ West Virginia #89 of 667

lost by 7 as a 6.5-point underdog

L 17-52 vs ArizonaTop 25 #55 of 667

lost by 35 as a 3.5-point underdog

L 7-53 @ UtahTop 25 #11 of 667

lost by 46 as a 14.5-point underdog

W 24-17 vs Iowa StateTop 25 #46 of 667

won by 7 as a 2.5-point underdog

L 21-35 @ TCUTop 25 #30 of 667

lost by 14 as a 14.5-point underdog

L 21-24 vs BYUTop 25 #38 of 667

lost by 3 as a 6.5-point underdog

W 37-20 vs Wyoming #125 of 667

won by 17 as a 12.5-point favorite

L 20-36 @ HoustonTop 25 #63 of 667

lost by 16 as a 3.5-point underdog

W 31-7 vs Delaware #129 of 667

won by 24 as a 23.5-point favorite

L 20-27 vs Georgia TechTop 25 #32 of 667

lost by 7 as a 3.5-point underdog

Last three games · 2025 season

Georgia Tech · 9-4

Rated 74th in our preseason ratings.

L 21-25 @ BYUTop 25 #27 of 667

lost by 4 as a 3.5-point underdog

L 9-16 vs GeorgiaTop 25 #9 of 667

lost by 7 as a 15.5-point underdog

L 28-42 vs PittsburghTop 25 #36 of 667

lost by 14 as a 2.5-point favorite

W 36-34 @ Boston College #121 of 667

won by 2 as a 16.5-point favorite

L 36-48 @ NC State #45 of 667

lost by 12 as a 4.5-point favorite

W 41-16 vs Syracuse #79 of 667

won by 25 as a 17.5-point favorite

W 27-18 @ Duke #52 of 667

won by 9 as a 3.5-point underdog

W 35-20 vs Virginia Tech #81 of 667

won by 15 as a 14.5-point favorite

W 30-29 @ Wake Forest #81 of 667

won by 1 as an 11.5-point favorite

W 45-24 vs Temple #119 of 667

won by 21 as a 24.5-point favorite

W 24-21 vs ClemsonTop 25 #19 of 667

won by 3 as a 2.5-point underdog

W 59-12 vs Gardner-Webb #165 of 667

won by 47 as a 37.5-point favorite

W 27-20 @ Colorado #35 of 667

won by 7 as a 3.5-point favorite

Matchups

Biggest mismatch: Georgia Tech’s rushing EPA against Colorado, 45 points

Each row ranks the two sides among all teams. The longer the line, the bigger the mismatch.

Georgia Tech’s rushing EPA against Colorado’s defense
Georgia Tech offense, 45th percentile · Colorado defense, 90th
Georgia Tech’s EPA/play against Colorado’s defense
Georgia Tech offense, 63rd percentile · Colorado defense, 79th

Season profile, all the rows

Season profile

ColoradoGeorgia Tech

EPA/play, offense

EPA/play, defense

Success rate, offense

Success rate, defense

Explosive-play rate, offense

Explosive-play rate, defense

Rush EPA, offense

Rush EPA, defense

Pass EPA, offense

Pass EPA, defense

The series

Georgia Tech leads the series 1-0

1 meeting since 2025 · Georgia Tech won the last meeting

2025Georgia Tech 27-20

Each line is Georgia Tech’s chance to win through that meeting. Georgia Tech is 1-1 in the meetings since 2018 that were still close in the fourth quarter.

Line, fans and home field

The betting line, and the fans

Georgia Tech fans are feeling it about like the typical fanbase this week (55th among FBS fanbases), in line with the numbers.

Georgia Tech favored by 6.5 · Total 53.5

How games like this usually go

Georgia Tech by 6.5, on the usual path until 0:03 left in the fourth

Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game

The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 377 games since 2025 with a favorite of 3.5 to 7.5 points.

The market

The spread moved 0.5 points toward Colorado.

The books’ cut: 4.3%, the margin built into the odds

Home field

Georgia Tech has had no measurable home edge since 2018 — −0.1 points (±4.1), home against road — 3rd percentile of FBS.

45% at home, 40% on the road against FBS opponents (20-24 home, 17-26 away).

Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads -7.7 at home vs. away over 94 games — outside the ±6.1 noise, one of the few buildings where results say more.

Night kickoff — historically worth about half a point more to the home side against the number, and not much more than that. The visitors travel about 1,228 miles to get here.

Colorado upsets Georgia Tech 14-13