Kevin Jennings throws for 430 yards as SMU survives four turnovers, a power outage and repeated mistakes to beat Florida State 27-24 on the road.
SMU football opened the 2026 season with a win that was equal parts impressive and maddening.
The No. 19 Mustangs escaped Florida State with a 27-24 victory after a bizarre night at Doak Campbell Stadium that included a lengthy power outage, communication problems, four SMU turnovers and enough self-inflicted mistakes to keep the Seminoles alive until the final seconds.
The biggest reason SMU still left Tallahassee 1-0 was quarterback Kevin Jennings.
Jennings completed 26 of 36 passes for a career-high 430 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Mustangs pile up 585 total yards and average 8.7 yards per play.
He also threw two interceptions, but his command of Rhett Lashlee’s offense became especially important when normal sideline communication was disrupted.
SMU converted eight of 14 third downs and finished with 430 passing yards compared with just 125 for Florida State.
The offense also showed impressive balance in the passing game. Four Mustangs finished with at least 70 receiving yards, including Yannick Smith, who delivered the biggest play of the night with a 79-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.
But the final score was much closer than the yardage suggested.
SMU lost two fumbles, threw two interceptions and committed six penalties. The Mustangs were also outgained on the ground 199-155 and held the ball for nearly five fewer minutes than Florida State.
That combination normally leads to a road loss.
This time, it didn’t.
Lashlee deserves credit for an aggressive game plan and an offense that functioned despite the unusual circumstances.
SMU moved the ball early, played with tempo and consistently created explosive opportunities.
The concern is discipline.
The Mustangs repeatedly gave Florida State extra chances, and that’s the kind of thing that becomes costly against stronger opponents later in the season.
Louisville and Notre Dame are both still ahead on the schedule, and SMU won’t be able to count on surviving another minus-three turnover margin.
Still, there’s a positive way to view it.
SMU played far from its cleanest game and still beat a Power Four conference opponent on the road.
If the Mustangs can cut down the turnovers and penalties while keeping Jennings and this offense operating at the same level, their ACC ceiling remains very high.
For now, SMU is 1-0.
And after everything that went wrong Monday night, that matters most.
