Former Tennessee DB Boo Carter has an immediate and massive impact for Colorado in a thrilling finish against Georgia Tech
The ex-Vol delivered the play of the game in the Buffaloes’ wild win.
Week 1 of the 2026 college football season got underway Thursday night, and anyone who went to bed early likely missed the most exciting finish of the entire weekend.
Former Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Boo Carter, who transferred to Colorado in January, delivered the play of the night for the Buffaloes, blocking a potential game-winning field goal as time expired to seal a 14-13 comeback victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Field in Atlanta.
For much of the contest, Carter’s impact was relatively muted. He finished with two tackles and two punt returns for 7 yards. However, Carter produced the biggest moment of the entire game without question.
Carter’s game-saving block caps Colorado comeback
After Georgia Tech took a late 13-7 lead inside of two minutes to play, Colorado’s offense, which struggled to find the end zone all day, went 75 yards in just over a minute to grab a 14-13 advantage. The Yellow Jackets rallied back and moved into field goal range for a 45-yard try with three seconds left.
Carter, a special teams standout in Knoxville, proved that ability carried over to Boulder. He came off the edge and blocked the would-be game-winning field goal as time expired, then ran down the field, ripped his helmet off, and celebrated with his teammates as Colorado started the season 1-0.
“I timed it pretty good,” Carter said after the game. “We practiced on it. My coach gave me a little method on how to [perfectly] jump it, so I just get off fast and do the rest to dive.”
Carter also had a fumble recovery deep in Georgia Tech territory during the first half. Those are the kind of plays Carter makes, the ones Tennessee fans grew accustomed to watching during his time as a Vol. He’s an impact player capable of changing a game in a single snap, and that’s why Tennessee certainly did not want to lose him, even though the split felt inevitable.
Georgia Tech, of course, is Tennessee’s Week 2 opponent, which makes Carter’s performance all the more noteworthy for Vols fans keeping an eye on that matchup. We’ll see soon enough how well Tennessee’s newest defensive back additions can help pick up the slack of his departure as the Vols take on Furman at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in Neyland Stadium.
