Florida State’s Monday night loss to SMU didn’t just sting because of the final score. It left the Seminoles’ fan base openly fed up after another night that never felt close to going right.
The No. 19 Mustangs walked out of Doak Campbell Stadium with a 27-24 win in the ACC opener, giving FSU its third straight season of dropping that conference debut.
On paper, it was a one-possession game. In reality, the Seminoles spent most of the night chasing the contest without ever looking comfortable.
Before the game even started, the atmosphere had already been thrown off by a nearly two-hour delay caused by a power outage inside the stadium. By the time the teams finally took the field, the crowd was already restless, and the performance that followed only poured fuel on it.
Florida State’s offense never found a rhythm. The passing game barely showed up, third downs were a dead end, and the unit produced long stretches with almost nothing to lean on. The defense had its own problems, too, with SMU repeatedly moving the chains on third down thanks to breakdowns in coverage and no real pass rush.
The Seminoles did force four turnovers, but they only cashed in two of them for points. One of the biggest chances came in the fourth quarter, when Ashlynd Barker jumped in front of Kevin Jennings’ pass for an interception while the game was tied. It was the kind of play that could have shifted the whole night.
Instead, Florida State went three-and-out on the next possession, and Ashton Daniels was sacked to end the drive. SMU answered with a 10-play march and the game-winning field goal, a sequence that effectively shut the door and left the home crowd with little left to hold onto.
The numbers tell the story just as clearly. SMU outgained Florida State 585-324, the most yardage Tony White’s defense has allowed in a game since he was hired last year. FSU finished 2/15 on third down and did not convert one until the final quarter, while SMU converted 8/14.
The broader picture is just as grim. Over the last two seasons, Florida State is now 8-18 overall and 3-4 in ACC play, with eight of those losses coming by one possession.
By the end of the night, the frustration spilled into open chants of “Fire Norvell” as fans headed out of Doak. The anger was loud, the mood was ugly, and plenty of supporters made it clear they’ve had enough.
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