SMU powers down Florida State in season opener

Florida State's stadium lost power 20 minutes before kickoff, but SMU football waited until its final drive to pull the plug on the Seminoles in a 27-24 win Monday, Sept. 7. The No. 19 Mustangs opened their season with a victory over the 1-0 Seminoles, winning a prime-time Labor Day matchup delayed nearly two hours by a blown transformer at Doak Campbell Stadium. Quarterback Kevin Jennings completed 26 of 36 passes for 430 yards, setting a single-game career high. He threw to eight different receivers, highlighted by ECU transfer Yannick Smith (5 REC, 107 YD, TD). The Mustangs outpassed Florida State by 305 yards. 'Yannick came up to me and was like, 'Get me the ball,'' Jennings said. 'I threw him a slant, and he took it to the crib, so seeing stuff like that gave me the utmost confidence.' An SMU defense that trended toward the bottom of the FBS in passing yards allowed in 2025 shined against Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels, holding the senior to 125 yards and 5.4 yards per attempt. Seminoles star receiver Duce Robinson hauled in just two catches for 25 yards. 'I thought it was a good first game for the defense,' Lashlee said. 'I was proud of them.' Similar to Doak Campbell Stadium, Jennings was lights-out in the first half. After Jalen Hale fumbled on the first drive of the game, Jennings led four consecutive commanding drives, passing for 224 yards, two touchdowns and completing 14 of his 17 pass attempts. His efforts led SMU to a 17-10 halftime lead, cut three points short by a missed 38-yard field goal by Nick Reed. 'I think [the] first half we played great,' Lashlee said. 'We showed how good we can be. The only guy Kevin had really played a game with as a starter was Yamir Knight, and then a little bit of Jalen Cooper. Everyone else was new– the tight ends, the receivers, the running backs.' SMU would continue to shoot itself in the foot. Jennings floated his first interception of the season to junior Nehemiah Chandler in the end zone, and SMU wide receiver Yamir Knight fumbled a punt to set up a Florida State touchdown. Entering the fourth quarter, Florida State had barely eclipsed 200 yards on offense and had not converted on any of its 10 third-down conversions. It felt like SMU was dominating the Seminoles. Yet, with the scoreboard finally turned back on midway through the second quarter, fans in the stadium could clearly see that the score was tied at 17. SMU running back Dramekco Green hurdles a defender during SMU's 27-24 win over Florida State on Monday, Sept. 7. (SMU Athletics) Jennings returned to form at the start of the fourth quarter by delivering a strike to Smith for a 79-yard touchdown, retaking the lead. Florida State evened the score a drive later, and with just six minutes left in the half, Jennings threw his second interception of the game. As possession and momentum shifted to the side of the Seminoles, the Mustangs defense held firm. Kansas State transfer Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder put Daniels on the turf with a colossal third-down sack, forcing a punt. '[The defense] stepped up big time,' Jennings said. 'When I turned the ball over [and] made mistakes, they came to me and said, 'We've got your back no matter what. Keep your head up,' and they went out there and did exactly what they said.' With time dwindling, Jennings and the offense crafted a 71-yard, four-and-a-half-minute drive down to the Florida State 3-yard line. Reed, with a miss and a make to his name, drilled the 20-yard field goal and gave SMU a 27-24 lead. With 21 seconds and no timeouts, the Seminoles couldn't concoct a miracle, finally turning the ball over on a last-ditch lateral play as time expired. SMU finished with 585 yards of offense. The running back duo of Kendrick Raphael (75 YD) and Dramekco Green (43 YD) proved efficient, and Jennings added 35 rushing yards of his own. Though Jalen Cooper (4 REC, 71 YD, TD) and Smith had the long touchdowns, no player savored the chance to score in Doak Campbell more than tight end Randy Pittman Jr. A former Seminole, Pittman Jr. caught five passes for 75 yards, including a second-quarter touchdown on a highlight-reel connection with Jennings. 'Earlier in the week, [Pittman] told Coach [Riley] Dodge to tell me that if he scored, he was going to get a celebration penalty,' Lashlee said. 'He had a good little dance, but nothing illegal.' Pittman Jr. and the Mustangs will have a short week of dancing as they return to the field in just five days for the home opener against UC Davis at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12.