No. 19 SMU Edges Florida State 27-24 on Late 20-Yard Field Goal

Q: How did Florida State lose a home game despite forcing four turnovers and dominating the ground game?

Florida State lost because the turnover edge and rushing success were outweighed by major efficiency problems on offense and repeated breakdowns against SMU’s passing game. The Seminoles forced four turnovers and ran for 199 yards, but they did not consistently turn those advantages into points. Their offense went just 2-for-15 on third down, repeatedly stalling drives even while Ousmane Kromah and Ashton Daniels produced on the ground. Daniels finished with only 125 passing yards, and Florida State’s passing game never became reliable enough to punish SMU once the run-heavy approach became predictable. At the same time, Florida State’s defense gave up too many explosive plays. SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for a career-high 430 yards and three touchdowns, and the Mustangs piled up 585 total yards. Even after the interceptions, SMU kept answering, including a 50-yard touchdown, a 79-yard scoring play, and the final 71-yard drive that set up Nick Reed’s winning 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds left. The deeper issue was situational football. SMU converted 8 of 14 third downs, while Florida State could not get off the field defensively or stay on it offensively. So despite winning turnover margin and controlling the ground game, the Seminoles were beaten through the air, failed to sustain drives, and could not close out the game after tying it twice in the second half.

3 articles · Updated · Florida State University · Sep 8

SMU won 27-24 in Tallahassee when it drove 71 yards and hit a 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in Florida State’s conference opener.
Florida State still forced four turnovers, but SMU answered with explosive plays — including a 79-yard touchdown pass — and overcame a 24-24 tie in the fourth quarter.
Ousmane Kromah led the Seminoles with 116 rushing yards on 22 carries and a touchdown, while Ashton Daniels threw for 125 yards, ran for 71 and accounted for two scores.
The loss dropped Florida State to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play heading into a bye week before a Sept. 19 trip to Alabama.