Georgia Tech sold out a home opener for the first time in 20 years, expecting the moment to end with Colorado leaving Atlanta with a loss. Instead, a late touchdown and a blocked field goal sent the Yellow Jackets home on the wrong side of a 14-13 finish.
That kind of ending leaves some fans looking for somebody to blame. As Deion Sanders walked off the field afterward, one of them decided that somebody was going to be him.
What happened next is the part people are still talking about. Not the insult, the answer he gave back.
Classic Deion Response
As Coach Prime made his way toward the tunnel, a fan in the stands yelled, “F— you, Deion.” He stopped, took a few steps back toward the voice, and said, “God bless you.”
Deion & Sheduer + disrespectful GA Tech fans after their victory.@GAFollowers @barstoolsports @CUBarstool @LeagueWinnersFB @ATLUncensored @SkoBuffsNation @skoobuffsdaily pic.twitter.com/hV5OuIDRYQ
— Steveesquire (@StevetheStilt) September 4, 2026
Then he turned and walked into the tunnel with his son, Shedeur Sanders, like nothing had happened at all.
No raised voice, no comeback, nothing that would have given the moment more life than it deserved. Sanders had every reason to fire back and chose the one response that made the whole exchange irrelevant instead.
A Win Colorado Needed
The response made the highlights, but the win underneath it mattered just as much. Colorado closed last season 3-9, including a five-game losing streak that closed the door on a once-promising run. This one felt like the start of something different.
New offensive coordinator Brennan Marion built his Go-Go offense around establishing the run, a sharp turn from Pat Shurmur’s approach a year ago, when Colorado threw the ball on 73 percent of its plays. On Thursday, the Buffaloes leaned on the ground game and held Georgia Tech under 100 rushing yards on the other side of the ball.
Colorado stays home next for its only non-conference matchup at Folsom Field, hosting Weber State with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. After a night like this one, Coach Prime walks in with the whole state of Colorado feeling a little better about where this team is headed.