Florida State had chances to make Labor Day night ugly for SMU, but the Seminoles never turned those takeaways into points and never found enough consistency on either side of the ball in a game that stayed tight deep into the fourth quarter.
The No. 19 Mustangs left Doak Campbell Stadium with a 1-0 ACC start after outgaining FSU and leaning on quarterback Kevin Jennings, who kept finding answers against a soft Seminoles secondary. Jennings finished 26 of 36 for over 400 yards and three touchdowns, and SMU’s offense was rolling long before the game was decided.
The strange setting only made things messier. Both teams were operating without coach-to-player communication, with no iPads or headsets, no PA announcer, and no scoreboard until late in the first half because of power issues inside the stadium. Florida State entered the game as a 3-point underdog, and the disruption seemed to layer on top of an already difficult start to the season.
Even with the scoreboard situation and the pressure of the night, Florida State had moments. The linebackers - Chris Jones, Mikai Gbayor, Omar Graham, Jr., and Caleb LaValle among them - made plays in the first half, and Quindarrius Jones followed up his Week 0 showing with another solid effort. But the coverage problems never went away, and SMU kept finding openings.
One of the clearest examples came when Jennings hit Jalen Cooper on an easy 50-yard gain for SMU’s first score. From there, the penalties kept piling up, and the Seminoles’ defense had trouble getting off the field. SMU was 8 of 14 on third down and piled up more than 150 rushing yards as well.
Florida State’s offense had a few sparks, but not nearly enough of them. Ashton Daniels looked a little more settled than he did in Week 0, and the Seminoles opened one scoring drive with an aggressive tone, but his overall production still wasn’t close to enough. He finished the first half 8 of 13 for 52 yards and a rushing touchdown, and by the end of the night he had thrown for just 125 yards.
The ground game offered more life. Sam Singleton and Jayvan Boggs both played well, and Ousmane Kromah delivered the biggest burst of the night with a 65-yard run that helped set up Florida State’s second scoring drive, which ended with a 46-yard field goal from Gabe Panikowski. Kromah carried the load throughout the game, repeatedly rescuing the offense from bad spots and finishing with 116 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Still, the Seminoles could not sustain anything. They went 0 for 10 on third down entering the fourth quarter, and that lack of efficiency put even more pressure on a defense that also couldn’t generate a sack. Florida State forced four turnovers, but none of them changed the flow of the game the way they needed to.
SMU’s offense kept extending drives, Florida State kept missing chances, and the Mustangs were the cleaner team for most of the night. The Seminoles now head into their first bye week before traveling to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to face the Crimson Tide on September 19.
In Other News...
FSU Fans Are Confronting One Brutal Mike Norvell Reality
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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
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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
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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 🡒]