TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In a thrilling season opener, Kevin Jennings led No. 19 SMU to a dramatic 27-24 victory over Florida State on Monday night. Despite throwing two interceptions, Jennings orchestrated a winning drive that culminated in Nick Reed’s 20-yard field goal with just 21 seconds remaining.
Jennings showcased his skills by completing 26 of 36 passes for a career-high 430 yards and three touchdowns, highlighting his dual-threat capability with both passing and rushing. The Mustangs amassed a total of 585 offensive yards, demonstrating their offensive prowess throughout the game.
“I thought Kevin played awesome,” commented SMU coach Rhett Lashlee. “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.”
Among Jennings’ standout plays was a remarkable 50-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Cooper, along with a 10-yard touchdown connection to Randy Pittman, a transfer from Florida State. Jennings’ performance was particularly impressive given the challenging circumstances, including a nearly two-hour delay caused by a power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium.
“Getting the W is amazing,” Jennings expressed. “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.”
On the other side, Florida State’s Ousmane Kromah was a bright spot, carrying the ball 22 times for 116 yards, including a notable 54-yard run and a 7-yard touchdown. This marked Kromah’s second consecutive 100-yard game to start his sophomore season.
Florida State’s Ashton Daniels completed 12 of 23 passes for 125 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown pass to Samuel Singleton Jr. Daniels also contributed with an 8-yard touchdown run, showcasing his versatility in a challenging matchup.
“We got to go make plays in the passing game when opportunities present themselves,” said Florida State coach Mike Norvell. “Didn’t do a good job protecting with that throughout, some inconsistencies there that we got to clean up. We had our opportunities. It’s a shame to come up a field goal short.”
Defensively, Florida State made some key plays, with Ashlynd Barker and Nehemiah Chandler each recording interceptions in the second half. The Seminoles also forced a muffed punt, contributing to a touchdown in the third quarter.
The game faced a significant delay as both teams were scheduled to kick off at 7:35 p.m. but were pushed back to 9:15 p.m. due to the power outage, leading to an unusual start where referees kept time on the field.
“We asked them to be calm in the chaos,” Lashlee noted. “Couldn’t be more chaotic than the first hour and a half.”
With this victory, SMU is poised to make a case for moving up in the AP poll rankings. The Mustangs converted 8 of 14 opportunities on third down and demonstrated resilience with two scoring drives in the fourth quarter, despite having made several opening-game mistakes.
Looking ahead, SMU will host UC Davis on Saturday, while Florida State has a bye week before traveling to face No. 13 Alabama on September 19.
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