Nick Reed’s 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds left helped No. 19 SMU overcome a mistake-laden performance and escape with a 27-24 season-opening win over Florida State on Monday night in Tallahassee, Fla.
The Mustangs dominated the game in most phases on paper, outgaining the Seminoles 585-324 in total yards and converting 8 of 14 third downs while Florida State was 2 of 15.
SMU’s 4-1 deficit in the turnover column, though, offset that edge.
Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for a career-high 430 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Yannick Smith caught five passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. Jalen Cooper and former Seminole Randy Pittman Jr. each also had a touchdown catch.
Florida State (1-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) was led by its rushing attack, which amassed 199 yards and two scores. Ousmane Kromah delivered his second straight 100-yard performance, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown. Ashton Daniels completed 12 of 23 passes for 125 yards and a score while adding 71 rushing yards and another TD.
With SMU (1-0, 1-0) leading 17-10 in the third quarter, Mustangs returner Yamir Knight muffed a punt that was recovered by the Seminoles. Eight plays later, Florida State equalized on Kromah’s 6-yard run.
The teams then traded fourth-quarter touchdowns, with Jennings finding Smith for a 79-yard score before Daniels threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Samuel Singleton Jr., tying the game with 8:17 left.
SMU held a sizable 328-165 edge in yardage at the half but held just a 17-10 lead on the scoreboard. The Mustangs moved the ball inside the Florida State 35 on each of their first five possessions but missed two chances with a fumble and a missed field goal.
Jennings excelled in the first half, completing 14 of 19 passes for 224 yards and two scores. His 50-yard pass to Cooper with 9:32 left in the first quarter opened the scoring, and his 10-yard dart to Randy Pittman restored SMU’s lead at 14-7 with 5:35 left in the half.
Florida State responded to SMU’s opening score with a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Daniels converted a fourth down with a 5-yard pass to Jayvan Boggs and then scrambled 8 yards for the score to cap off the drive.
Reed closed out the first-half scoring with a 22-yard field goal with 1:49 left after Florida State kicker Gabe Panikowski cut the deficit to 14-10 by making a 46-yarder with 3:58 left.