Late-game tension between Georgia Tech and Colorado took an unexpected turn when standout offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge fell injured. Instead of simply stopping play, referees hit the Yellow Jackets with a charged timeout, citing new rules to prevent players from faking injuries to slow down the momentum.
Georgia Tech charged a timeout because of new rules that are meant to address faking injuries. GT’s first-team all-ACC OL Keylan Rutledge just limped off field. https://t.co/4TWZO8zOEu https://t.co/JjRxOQH32e
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) August 30, 2025
The timing couldn’t have been worse. With the ball already spotted, Georgia Tech was forced to burn a crucial timeout just as Rutledge limped off and Joe Fusile re-entered the game. The move left fans fuming on social media, many calling the rule unfair when applied to legitimate injuries.
One fan wrote:
“I hate stupid rules where you can’t bring in common sense.”
Another complained, “What a stupid f*cking way to ‘fix’ this ‘problem’.”
A disgusted fan wrote, “It honestly takes away the incentive to fake an injury and pushes the incentive for the defense to purposely injure the offense.”
“This is a bad rule. That was a genuine injury!” wrote another angry fan.
A fan noted, “Must be Deion doesn’t like the new injury time out rule and wanted to keep it fair.”
Rutledge, an All-ACC lineman and one of Georgia Tech’s anchors up front, became the unfortunate face of a controversial enforcement that has lingered since the NCAA attempted to curb gamesmanship. While the rule intends to stop fake collapses, fans argued that it punishes teams when players are genuinely hurt.
The backlash didn’t stop, as Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes lost the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the season opener on Friday. Coach Prime made unexpected playcalling errors.
Keylan Rutledge 2024 Injury and Comeback for Georgia Tech vs. Colorado Opener
Just eight months ago, Keylan Rutledge wasn’t thinking about Miami or Colorado. However, as revealed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the 6-foot-3 star was thinking about survival.
In December 2023, the Georgia Tech offensive lineman outlived a terrifying car accident on I-85 that left his truck upside down in a ditch. He escaped with a broken toe and an infection that nearly led to amputation.
Rutledge’s journey since then has been grueling, with two surgeries, weeks in a walking boot, and the constant fear that his career might be over. But instead of stepping back, the transferee from Middle Tennessee poured himself into rehab, leaning on trainers, family, and faith to get through.
Less than a year later, “Big Red” was back in Tech’s starting lineup, not just healthy, but thriving. He’s logged over 600 snaps, grading among the Jackets’ most consistent blockers, and proving why Brent Key and his staff fought to bring him to Atlanta.
For Rutledge, Friday’s opener validates every hard step back, every doubt pushed aside, but nothing hurt like seeing him lying on the field again, with nothing more than rule backlash over it.
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