The Colorado Buffaloes are set to kick off their season in opposition to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Thursday in a matchup of two eerily comparable groups. The Buffaloes have applied a brand new offensive scheme that carefully resembles that of the Yellow Jackets, and it’ll make for a Week 1 slugfest.
Each groups function their working backs closely and in addition issue of their quarterbacks to the run recreation with regularity. Right here’s a have a look at how every workforce’s working recreation stacks up in opposition to the opposite within the season opener.
Colorado Buffaloes
The Buffaloes restructured their backfield to implement Marion’s scheme, and it has seemed like a hit up to now. The Buffaloes’ specialty can be alternating backs of various ability units.
The scheme closely makes use of 21 personnel, with each working backs break up out to at least one facet of the quarterback. This creates alternatives to make the most of the triple-option, permitting the quarterback to select which participant of a selected ability set could be greatest to present the ball to based mostly on the learn he makes on the protection.
Colorado options one main bruiser in its backfield: 6-2, 205-pound Sacramento State Hornets switch Damian Henderson II. He has taken strides in fall camp after being the Hornets’ second-leading rusher a yr in the past.
Alongside him, the Buffs have two hybrids who’re efficient in each energy run units and when utilizing their velocity on outdoors runs. These gamers are returning working again Micah Welch, who led Colorado in speeding final season with 384 yards, and Alabama Crimson Tide switch Richard Younger.
Then, Colorado has two speedsters in DeKalon Taylor and JaQuail Smith, who can be weapons in choice and passing units.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Whereas the Yellow Jackets possible gained’t use as many various backs as Colorado, they could find yourself handing the ball off extra incessantly. Whereas Colorado’s scheme options its justifiable share of passing, the Yellow Jackets have been one of the crucial run-heavy groups within the nation final yr. They tallied a complete of two,567 yards on the bottom in 2025 with a mixture of their high two working backs and their quarterback, Haynes King.
The Yellow Jackets’ high two backs will possible be Michigan Wolverines switch Justice Haynes and returning star Malachi Hosley.
Haynes started his profession with the Crimson Tide, speeding for a mixed 616 yards and 9 touchdowns in two years. He then transferred to the Wolverines for the 2025 season, the place he took a step ahead in his manufacturing. He tallied 857 yards and 10 touchdowns on the bottom because the Wolverines’ second-leading rusher. He’s the same hybrid again to Welch and Younger, although his 210-pound body helps him to lean into his energy working fashion a bit extra.
Hosley was a terrific second choice to Jamal Haynes within the backfield final season, tallying 697 yards and 7 touchdowns. His breakaway velocity was an efficient distinction to Haynes’ energy working fashion, and it was used to gash a lot of defenses. Previous to his days in Atlanta, Hosley was a 1,000-yard rusher for the Pennsylvania Quakers of the Ivy League within the FCS.
Which Run Sport Holds the Benefit?
Whereas Colorado holds the flexibility benefit, the Yellow Jackets maintain the higher hand because it stands.
The Buffaloes have loads of potential of their backfield and an offensive scheme that helps the run recreation. Nevertheless, Georgia Tech has extra confirmed expertise in its backfield, together with working backs J.P. Powell and Chad Alexander, who’ve been significant contributors for them prior to now.
Nonetheless, the Buffaloes’ protection believes that enjoying in opposition to the ‘Go-Go’ offense in follow on a day by day foundation has them ready to decelerate Georgia Tech’s dominant run offense.
“It’s undoubtedly useful,” mentioned Colorado linebacker Gideon ESPN Lampron in his Thursday presser. “As a result of going in opposition to an choice offense exams each single rule of your protection. You get so many unique appears, so that they undoubtedly have us ready for something that we might see.”
Stopping that run is a private matter to Lampron and the Buffs’ protection, so whereas the outcomes nonetheless wait to be seen, he and his teammates have nice confidence in what they’ll convey to the desk come Thursday.
“It’s undoubtedly private,” Lampron mentioned. “It’s simply saying they’re harder than us, and that’s simply one thing we’re going to should see once we get on the market. I’m so excited for our guys to get this problem and I do know we’ve been working so onerous this complete yr, so I’m simply excited to go on the market.”
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