Partial Power Outage Disrupts Florida State’s Game Against SMU

A home game for Florida State against the 19th-ranked SMU quickly descended into uncertainty due to a partial power outage that left both teams considering a postponement.

After an almost two-hour delay, the teams finally kicked off their ACC opener in Tallahassee, Florida, even though full power had not been restored. The lights went out just before the scheduled kickoff at 7:29 p.m.

The game eventually began at 9:15 p.m. in a dimly lit stadium, which posed significant challenges for both teams. For instance, they had to rely on the field for the game clock and had no coach-to-player communication or use of iPads.

Communication between the booth and the sidelines was still possible, but there were no announcements made via the public address system, nor was there any functioning scoreboard, as noted by ESPN’s Taylor McGregor.

“They believe they have enough lights to play this game,” McGregor mentioned during the broadcast.

Interestingly, SMU’s coach Rhett Lashlee shared that his team hadn’t practiced without the usual coach-to-player communication for two years.

Before the decision to resume play was made, ESPN reported that approximately 30 officials, including the ACC commissioner and athletic directors from both schools, were assembled in a room at 8:15 p.m. They were essentially making a last-ditch effort to get the power back on.

McGregor hinted that playing on Tuesday was still an option—but it all depended on the situation at the stadium.

This game marked the season opener for SMU, which managed to fend off an upset and won 27-24, while Florida State came into the game off a victory against New Mexico State.