The No. 19 Mustangs open their season Monday night against Florida State, which already has one game under its belt after a shaky Week 0 performance.
There is an underrated disadvantage to opening the season in Week 1 against a team that opened in Week 0. Florida State has already worked out some of the sloppiness that comes with a first game. SMU has not.
That is the backdrop for Monday night at Doak Campbell Stadium, where the No. 19 Mustangs begin their season in a hostile primetime environment against a team playing with a chip on its shoulder.
The good news for Rhett Lashlee is that Florida State's extra game did not exactly produce a confidence-builder. The Seminoles were 31-point favorites over New Mexico State and led just 17-10 midway through the third quarter before finally putting the game away, 34-17. Whatever rust they burned off, they did not look like a team that solved much.
SMU is favored despite the road setting, which is unusual and telling. The market believes in Kevin Jennings, and the numbers back that up. Oddsmakers have set his passing total roughly 50 yards above what they expect from Ashton Daniels, the Auburn transfer making his second start as a Seminole.
Daniels was fine in his debut, throwing for 202 yards with a touchdown and an interception while adding a rushing score. Fine will not be enough against a Mustangs team that has spent the entire offseason preparing for this specific opponent.
The two programs have met only once, with SMU winning 42-16 in Dallas in 2024. Monday marks the first time the Mustangs have played in Tallahassee, adding another layer to an already tricky spot.
Weather could be a factor as well, with thunderstorms forecast throughout the day. A soaked natural grass surface tends to favor the more physical team and neutralize passing games, something worth monitoring given how both offenses are built.
Mike Norvell needs this one. After a 5-7 season and an uninspiring opener, a home win over a ranked opponent under the lights would change the entire tone of his fall. SMU has a chance to make that a much longer conversation in Tallahassee.
WHAT: No. 19 SMU Mustangs (0-0) at Florida State Seminoles (1-0)
WHEN: Monday, Sept. 7, 2026 | 6:30 p.m. CT
WHERE: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium | Tallahassee, Florida
TV: ESPN | Commentators: Play-by-play: Dave Pasch; Analyst: Dusty Dvoracek; Sideline reporter: Taylor McGregor
RADIO: SportsRadio 96.7 FM - 1310 AM 'The Ticket' | SMU Mustangs Radio Network
BETTING ODDS VIA DRAFTKINGS
SPREAD: SMU -2.5
OVER/UNDER TOTAL: 53.5 points
MONEYLINE: SMU -143 | Florida State +136
