SMU Edges Florida State 27-24 on Nick Reed’s Late Field Goal/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Nick Reed kicked a 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining to give No. 19 SMU a 27-24 victory over Florida State. Kevin Jennings overcame two interceptions to throw for a career-high 430 yards and three touchdowns in the Mustangs’ season opener. The ACC matchup began nearly two hours late because of a power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Quick Look
- Final score: No. 19 SMU 27, Florida State 24.
- Nick Reed made the winning 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds left.
- Kevin Jennings completed 26 of 36 passes for 430 yards.
- Jennings threw three touchdowns and two interceptions.
- SMU generated 585 total offensive yards.
- Ousmane Kromah rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown for Florida State.
- The Seminoles converted only 2 of 15 third-down opportunities.
- A stadium power outage delayed kickoff until 9:15 p.m.
- SMU will host UC Davis next, while Florida State visits No. 13 Alabama after a bye.
Deep Look
Reed delivers the decisive kick
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Nick Reed kicked a 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining Monday night, lifting No. 19 SMU to a 27-24 road victory over Florida State in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.
SMU drove 71 yards in nine plays on its final possession to set up Reed’s winning kick. The Mustangs improved to 1-0 overall and in conference play, while Florida State fell to 1-1 and 0-1 in the ACC.
Jennings rebounds from two interceptions
Quarterback Kevin Jennings overcame two second-half interceptions to direct the decisive drive. He completed 26 of 36 passes for a career-best 430 yards and three touchdowns.
“I thought Kevin played awesome,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “He was in control. Threw it for 430, he ran it when he needed to. He’s a player. Really proud of him. Proud of our guys for just finding a way to win.”
Jennings connected with Jalen Cooper for a 50-yard touchdown and found Florida State transfer Randy Pittman for a 10-yard score. The Mustangs accumulated 585 yards despite committing several season-opening mistakes.
“Getting the W is amazing,” Jennings said. “It was a tough crowd environment on the road. Great team. Crowd was going crazy. … We’ve been preparing since January. It’s nothing new for us. It’s week 1. Mistakes are going to happen. But it’s about how we respond.”
SMU converted eight of its 14 third-down attempts and produced two scoring drives in the fourth quarter.
Kromah leads Florida State’s ground game
Ousmane Kromah carried the ball 22 times for 116 yards, establishing career highs in both categories. His performance included a 54-yard run and a 7-yard touchdown.
Kromah has surpassed 100 rushing yards in each of Florida State’s first two games. He became the first Seminoles player to record consecutive 100-yard rushing performances since Trey Benson accomplished the feat during the 2022 season.
Quarterback Ashton Daniels completed 12 of 23 passes for 125 yards. He threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Samuel Singleton Jr. and added an 8-yard touchdown run that completed a 14-play, 75-yard opening-quarter drive.
Passing game and third downs hurt Seminoles
Florida State struggled to sustain drives through the air and failed on its first 10 third-down attempts. The Seminoles finished 2 of 15 in those situations.
“We got to go make plays in the passing game when opportunities present themselves,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “Didn’t do a good job protecting with that throughout, some inconsistencies there that we got to clean up. We got to get that corrected. … We had our opportunities. It’s a shame to come up a field goal short.”
The Seminoles remained competitive by forcing three turnovers. Ashlynd Barker and Nehemiah Chandler intercepted Jennings in the second half, while a muffed SMU punt led to a Florida State touchdown in the third quarter.
Florida State nevertheless failed to capitalize on enough of those opportunities to take control.
Power outage delays kickoff
The game was scheduled to begin at 7:35 p.m., but a power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium delayed kickoff until 9:15 p.m.
Officials initially kept time on the field as the stadium continued dealing with the disruption.
“We asked them to be calm in the chaos,” Lashlee said. “Couldn’t be more chaotic than the first hour and a half.”
The delay created an unusual start to SMU’s season, but the Mustangs maintained their composure and secured the road victory.
Takeaways for SMU and Florida State
SMU’s offense demonstrated its potential behind Jenningswho responded to turnovers by leading two fourth-quarter scoring possessions. The Mustangs’ victory could strengthen their position when the next AP Top 25 poll is released.
Florida State showed strength in its running game and generated takeaways, but its passing inconsistencies and third-down failures proved costly.
The Seminoles also fell to 0-2 all time against SMU. The Mustangs defeated Florida State 42-16 in their first meeting in 2024.
Up next
SMU returns home to face UC Davis on Saturday.
Florida State has a bye before traveling to play No. 13 Alabama on Sept. 19.
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