No. 19 SMU Beats Florida State 27-24 on Late Field Goal After Power Outage Delay

Mustangs Rally Late to Win Dramatic Week 1 ACC Showdown

No. 19 SMU opened its Atlantic Coast Conference season with a dramatic 27-24 victory over Florida State on Monday night, with Nick Reed’s 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining providing the decisive points in a game that was delayed nearly two hours by a power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium.

The Mustangs and Seminoles were originally scheduled to kick off at 7:35 p.m., but the start was pushed back to 9:15 p.m. because of the outage. Once play finally began, SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings overcame two interceptions and delivered a spectacular performance through the air, completing 26 of 36 passes for a career-best 430 yards and three touchdowns.

Jennings Leads SMU’s Winning Drive

Jennings saved his biggest moments for the fourth quarter, leading the Mustangs on the decisive scoring drive before Reed connected on the game-winning field goal with just 21 seconds left.

Jennings threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Cooper and added a 10-yard touchdown pass to Randy Pittman, a Florida State transfer. SMU finished with 585 yards of total offense as the Mustangs overcame their mistakes and held off a determined Seminoles team.

Florida State’s defense made several key plays to keep the game close. Ashlynd Barker and Nehemiah Chandler each intercepted Jennings in the second half, while the Seminoles also forced a muffed punt that set up a third-quarter touchdown.

Florida State Gets Another Strong Performance From Kromah

Florida State’s offense was led by sophomore running back Ousmane Kromah, who continued his impressive start to the season with 22 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown. Kromah broke loose for a 54-yard run and scored on a 7-yard touchdown run, giving him consecutive 100-yard games to begin his sophomore campaign.

Quarterback Ashton Daniels completed 12 of 23 passes for 125 yards and a 39-yard touchdown pass to Samuel Singleton Jr. Daniels also scored on an 8-yard touchdown run as Florida State capped a 14-play, 75-yard opening-quarter drive with a touchdown.

Despite the strong individual performances, the Seminoles could not produce enough offense late to answer SMU’s final scoring drive.

SMU Makes a Statement in the ACC

The victory moves SMU to 1-0 overall and 1-0 in ACC play, while Florida State falls to 1-1 and 0-1 in conference competition.

For the Mustangs, the win could have significant implications in the next AP Top 25 poll. SMU entered the game ranked No. 19 and now has an opportunity to move higher after defeating a Florida State team on the road in one of the more unusual games of Week 1.

The lengthy weather-free delay caused by the stadium power outage added another layer of difficulty, but SMU ultimately handled the circumstances and delivered when the game was on the line.

What Happens Next for Both Teams

SMU will return home Saturday to host UC Davis as the Mustangs look to build on their impressive opening-night victory.

Florida State will have a bye week before facing one of its biggest tests of the early season. The Seminoles will travel to face No. 13 Alabama on Sept. 19, giving coach and players an opportunity to regroup before another high-profile matchup.

With a dramatic road win already on its résumé, SMU has positioned itself as an early team to watch in the ACC, while Florida State will look to bounce back from a narrow loss before its showdown with Alabama.