Florida State and SMU never even got to the opening kickoff before the night got thrown off course.
The game in Tallahassee was delayed because of a stadium power outage, with the lights out and the press box also without power. Kickoff had been set for 7:30 p.m.
ET, but ESPN reported that a transformer blew while crews were trying to reset it. Both teams went back to the locker room as the situation was being sorted out.
By 8:20 p.m., stadium staff were working on another fix, with the hope that the lights could be restored by 9 p.m. so the teams could start warming up again. If the power could not be brought back, the game could be moved to Tuesday.
The matchup was supposed to open ACC play for Florida State on Labor Day night against SMU, and it was set to be the first meeting in Doak Campbell Stadium. The two programs have only faced each other once before, in SMU’s inaugural ACC season in 2024.
Florida State came in at 1-0 after beating New Mexico State on August 29. Ashton Daniels produced 232 total yards and two touchdowns in that opener, while Samuel Singleton Jr. was named ACC Receiver of the Week after piling up 164 all-purpose yards and two total touchdowns.
The Seminoles also got an early takeaway from Quindarrius Jones, who picked off a pass on the opening drive of the 2026 season. It marked the first time since 2020, and only the sixth time since 1980, that FSU opened a season with a takeaway on the opponent’s first possession.
Florida State then responded with a 43-yard field goal, continuing a strong trend under Mike Norvell: it was the sixth time in seven seasons that FSU scored on its first drive of the year. The Seminoles have now put points on the board in five straight season openers, tied for the second-longest active streak entering Week 1.
Since 2020, their 38 points on opening drives are the most in the country.
Duce Robinson is the headline name for Florida State entering the year. The preseason All-American led the ACC in the regular season last year with 1,081 receiving yards, the most by a Seminole since 2019. He was a first-team All-ACC selection and a third-team All-American in 2025, finished 11th nationally in receiving yards, led all P4 receivers with five 120-yard games, and ranked second in the ACC with 21.15 yards per catch, trailing only teammate Micahi Danzy.
Robinson’s preseason honors list is loaded: he is on the watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Biletnikoff Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and Wuerffel Trophy, is FSU’s nominee for the Good Works Team, and has been named a preseason first-team All-American by multiple outlets. In 2025, he was a first-team Academic All-American, the first at Florida State since 2012. He graduated in summer 2026 as a social studies major.
Danzy made noise in his first season at wide receiver, leading the country with six 50-yard plays in 2025. He also joined 2026 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Peter Warrick as the only Florida State wide receivers to post at least three rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns in a season.
Florida State’s kicking game also had a clean start against New Mexico State. Gabe Panikowski made both of his field goal tries, and he remains perfect at 17-for-17 on field goals in his NCAA career.
The fifth-year kicker won the Fred Haskins Award in 2024 as the best non-FBS kicker while at Idaho State, where he hit all 15 of his field goal attempts. He did not play in a game last season at Oklahoma State.
The Seminoles’ roster now includes 109 players, with 62 newcomers: 35 freshmen, 23 four-year transfers and four JuCo transfers. Against New Mexico State, 26 of those newcomers saw their first action as Seminoles, including 10 starters. Safety Ma’Khi Jones was among them, making his first career start against the Aggies.
In Other News...
FSU Fans Are Confronting One Brutal Mike Norvell Reality
Mike Norvells tenure at Florida State has reached the point where the frustration is no longer just about one bad stretch or one disappointing season. Seven years into the job, the Seminoles are staring at a 39-35 record under his watch, and the recent slide has made the conversation around the program feel heavier than it did even a year ago. What once looked like a long-term build now has fans weighing patience against the reality of how long the skid has lasted.
Money only makes that conversation harder to ignore. Norvells 2024 extension runs through 2031 and includes a modest base salary with supplemental income that rises each year, but the real issue is the buyout, which sits around $46.7 million. That kind of number puts Florida State in a familiar college football bind: even when a program starts asking tough questions about direction, the cost of making a change can be almost as daunting as standing pat. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Norvell's Future Just Became A Tough Florida State Debate
Florida States recent slide has turned Mike Norvells tenure into one of the more complicated discussions in the sport, because this is no longer just about wins and losses. The Seminoles are coming off a 13-1 season, but the stretch since then has been rough, with an 8-18 record overall and a 3-14 mark in ACC play, a downturn that has changed the temperature around the program in a hurry.
The harder part for Florida State is what comes next, because Norvells long-term contract is a major financial commitment. His 8-year, $84 million extension carries a buyout estimated at around $45 million if the school were to move on, which means the universitys decision may hinge as much on the rest of this season as on the frustration already building in the fan base. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Fans Have A Costly Portal Question After Week 1
Florida States Week 1 loss did more than dent the record. It reopened the conversation around a roster that was supposed to look like a major investment, especially with roughly $24 million tied up in NIL funds and a ranking that placed the Seminoles 26th in college football. After the opener, the concerns were easy to spot: the secondary had issues, the offense never fully settled in, and the price tag attached to the roster suddenly felt like part of the story.
Mike Norvell is now dealing with the kind of scrutiny that comes when expectations and production drift apart early. High-value additions such as quarterback Ashton Daniels and running back Quintrevion Wisner have not matched the hope that came with their arrival, and the debate around which transfers were worth the spending is only getting louder. For a fan base already frustrated by the loss, the lingering portal question is no longer just about who came in, but whether the Seminoles spent in the right places at all. [Read more 🡒]