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SMU’s Chaotic Win Put Florida State—and the ACC—on Notice
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Through a long delay, a darkened stadium and four turnovers, SMU found enough poise to beat Florida State. Mark Gray sees a rising program in Dallas and a crisis deepening in Tallahassee.
College football’s opening weeks have delivered the kind of drama normally reserved for prime-time television, but the most revealing chaos came in Tallahassee. SMU’s trip to Florida State was delayed for an hour and 45 minutes, with the venue losing power and the public-address system going silent before the game finally began well after its expected start.
Once football resumed, SMU handled the disorder better than Florida State. On OG Sports Rap, Mark Gray argued that the final margin and overtime finish should not obscure the larger picture: the Mustangs controlled too much of the night for this to be treated as a narrow escape. For Florida State, a nationally televised ACC loss became another sharp question about where Mike Norvell’s program is headed.
SMU Kept Its Composure When the Night Went Sideways
The delay created conditions that demand maturity from a team. Players had to wait, reset and compete in an environment where even basic stadium operations were disrupted. Gray pointed to SMU coach Rhett Lashley’s message to his team—“be calm in the chaos”—as the right approach. The Mustangs did not play a clean game, but they did not let an unusual night erase their purpose.
The numbers make SMU’s control of the game difficult to dismiss. The Mustangs outgained Florida State 585 yards, recorded 23 first downs and converted 8 of 14 third downs. They also turned the ball over four times, the sort of mistake total that normally buries a road team. Yet Florida State converted only 2 of 15 third downs, leaving SMU enough room to survive its own errors and still leave with the win.
Kevin Jennings Showed SMU’s Ceiling
Quarterback Kevin Jennings was the central reason SMU could absorb those turnovers. Gray described him as a high-risk, high-reward player who shook off ugly interceptions rather than letting them dictate the rest of his performance. Jennings threw for a career-high 430 yards and three touchdowns, repeatedly attacking a Florida State secondary that could not contain him.
His 79-yard touchdown throw to Yannick Smith represented the explosive side of a performance that places Jennings on an early Heisman watch, in Gray’s view. The lesson is not that SMU has solved every problem; four giveaways remain a serious warning. But a quarterback who can produce at that level on the road, during a deeply disrupted game, gives the Mustangs a foundation that can travel if they become more careful with the football.
Dallas Resources Give SMU a Real Opening
Gray’s larger point is that SMU is positioned to capitalize on a college sports landscape that has changed dramatically. The program has long had money, donors and a home in Dallas, and it now competes in a conference where it can pursue football relevance on a much bigger stage. The old Pony Express era, which ended with SMU receiving the death penalty, is part of the school’s history, but today’s pay-for-play environment has removed many of the old barriers around athlete compensation.
SMU is not likely to displace the University of Texas as the state’s dominant brand, Gray said, but it does not need to do that to become a force in the ACC. The road win over Florida State is a tone-setter because the league champion receives a College Football Playoff berth. If the Mustangs clean up their turnover issues, they have shown the offensive capability and institutional backing to become a meaningful factor in that race.
Florida State Faces More Than One Bad Night
Florida State did have a bright spot in running back Houseman Cromar, who carried 22 times for 116 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 54 and seven yards. But Gray saw little else in the performance that could ease concern. A power outage is an operational embarrassment; getting overwhelmed on national television after play begins is a football problem. Together, they made for an unacceptable night at a program with championship expectations and a deep tradition.
The timing is particularly damaging because Miami is gaining momentum in Florida’s recruiting battle. Gray believes the Hurricanes are currently the state’s hottest program, while Florida and Florida State are dealing with coaching uncertainty. When recruits compare Miami and Tallahassee with comparable financial opportunities, the momentum and appeal of the U create a difficult obstacle for the Seminoles. Norvell, in Gray’s assessment, looks overwhelmed by the moment and the direction of his team.
What It Means
That is why Gray raised the biggest possible answer for Florida State: Deion Sanders. Prime is a Florida State alumnus whose work at Jackson State and Colorado demonstrated his ability to recruit, command attention and reshape a program’s public profile. Gray believes Sanders returning to his alma mater could immediately change the conversation around Seminoles football, from players and coaches to the broader energy surrounding the program.
That possibility remains speculative, and Florida State’s immediate task is more basic: compete with greater execution, resilience and identity. SMU did those things amid a night built for excuses, while Florida State failed to seize its home field. The Mustangs left Tallahassee with a defining early win. The Seminoles left with a crisis that will not disappear simply because the season is still young.
Substantive update: