Florida State’s first ACC test of the 2026 season arrives with no shortage of pressure or attention. The Seminoles are back in Doak Campbell Stadium on Labor Day after beating New Mexico State, and now they draw an SMU team that looks very much like a conference heavyweight.
The challenge starts with Kevin Jennings, the Mustangs’ dual-threat quarterback and the kind of player who can stress a defense in every direction. In two seasons as SMU’s starter, Jennings has completed 547 of 834 passes for 6,886 yards with 49 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. He has also added 409 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground, which is exactly why Florida State knows this can’t be treated like a one-dimensional passing game.
Mike Norvell said Tuesday that the Seminoles have to pick their spots carefully when trying to slow Jennings and SMU’s offense.
"I mean, he's just such an explosive player," Mike Norvell said on Tuesday. "He can move, he can obviously can get the ball out quick. He's got good skill position guys that are around him, and Rhett he's going to try to attack every area of the field and the vertical passing game, but also sideline to sideline."
The problem for Florida State is not just Jennings himself. SMU plays fast, uses motion to keep defenses guessing, and can pile up problems if communication breaks down. Norvell made it clear that the Seminoles cannot simply try to erase everything at once.
"You've really got to be coordinated in a sense of knowing what you're trying to take away because you can't take away everything," Norvell added. "And that's part of it, you can sit there and you can always find something, well, this is, this was an area, or this was an issue that showed up."
That message matters because Florida State’s secondary was exposed against the Aggies, and SMU is built to punish that kind of sloppiness. Norvell stressed that the defense has to stay organized, stay disruptive and make Jennings work for every clean look.
"We got to make sure that as we are making adjustments, we're knowing what we're taking away, and then trying to keep them off balance, and where to attack," Norvell said. "And if we can do that, you got to try to be able to disrupt them from that rhythm because, I mean, they're going to play fast. It's one of the fastest-playing offenses in the country."
"They're going to try to keep you off balance with motions and communication and different things you have to do," Norvell added. "And then, obviously, the quarterback, he can make it happen. We've got to try to keep him contained, and just not let him be comfortable sitting back there picking you apart."
The schedule only gets tougher from here. Three of Florida State’s next six opponents were ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, and Clemson and Virginia also received votes. Still, Norvell made it clear the Seminoles can’t drift beyond Monday night.
"We know what's in front of us this week. That's what I told them, 'man, this is a team that was a couple of plays away from being in the championship game last year'.
This is one of the top teams in the ACC conference," Norvell said. "This is a team that has big expectations for all that's in front of them.
They were in the playoffs a couple of years ago, this, all focus to this week."
"I mean, it's gonna take a great effort on our part. That's what I fully expect out of this team.
The schedule is the schedule," Norvell continued. "We know we got a great schedule with very competitive opponents, but right now it all comes down to this one and don't really need a whole lot of motivational speech for what's in front of us Monday night.
I feel that with our guys, but it's time to go show it."
Florida State opens ACC play against SMU on Monday, September 7. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
In Other News...
Tommy Castellanos Is Now At Center Of An NCAA Eligibility Fight
Tommy Castellanos has found himself at the center of a broader NCAA eligibility fight that could reach far beyond one player or one season. The new five-for-five system was supposed to give Division I athletes five continuous years to play five seasons, but the Class of 2022 was left out of that change and then caught in a legal tug-of-war when a federal judge granted that group a temporary fifth season before the NCAA appealed and the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put the ruling on hold.
For Florida State, the immediate significance is obvious: Castellanos is among the individual athletes who have already secured separate court injunctions that let them compete and move through the transfer portal despite NCAA restrictions. His case sits in the middle of a messy, unresolved legal landscape, and it underscores how much player movement now depends not just on roster decisions or coaching changes, but on the latest court order attached to eligibility. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Already Faces Pressure To Hold Onto A Key Commit
Florida States recruiting picture took another hit with ZaKari Johnson, a four-star athlete in the 2027 class, appearing to reopen his recruitment while preparing to visit Texas A&M. Johnson had been committed to the Seminoles, and his profile as both a wide receiver and defensive back made him one of the more important early pledges in the cycle, especially for a program trying to keep its future class on steady ground.
Texas A&Ms push adds another layer of pressure for Florida State at a time when uncertainty around the coaching situation and financial limitations is already making the Seminoles work harder to protect their commitments. The Aggies have the kind of resources that can make a recruiting battle difficult to win, and if Florida States situation shifts again, the concern is not just losing Johnson but watching other young targets start to look elsewhere too. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Running Backs Think Last Week Was Only The Beginning
Sam Singleton Jr. drew some well-earned praise this week from running backs coach Kam Martin, who liked what he saw out of the Florida State back in his recent performance. The message from Martin was not just about celebrating one good outing, though. It was about carrying that momentum forward and keeping the position group moving in the right direction as the Seminoles continue to sort out who can consistently handle meaningful touches.
There is still a clear edge to the way Martin is talking about the room, and that matters for a group trying to establish itself behind the scenes. Florida State has reasons to feel encouraged after Singletons surge, but the staff is also pushing for the kind of weekly growth that turns one promising performance into something more dependable. For a backfield still trying to prove its ceiling, the next step is the one that will tell the real story. [Read more 🡒]