Just before the scheduled kickoff on Monday night, a sudden power outage plunged Doak Campbell Stadium into darkness, halting the SMU versus Florida State contest and forcing both squads to retreat to the locker room for a brief pause.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips convened with officials from both schools every twenty minutes, and after three deliberations the decision was made at 8:45 p.m. ET to continue the game without helmet‑to‑helmet communication, sideline iPad usage, or any coach‑to‑player messaging.
Coaches Adapt with Hand Signals
With the usual electronic channels unavailable, coaches turned to traditional hand signals to convey plays and adjustments, a method not rehearsed by either team in recent memory.
SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee, whose Mustangs had not practiced without coach‑to‑player communication since 2024, had to improvise on the fly, while Florida State’s Mike Norvell, under intense preseason scrutiny, guided his team through the same makeshift system.
The contest carried extra weight for Norvell, whose job security had been questioned entering the season, and for SMU, which faced a Saturday showdown with UC Davis and needed a win to stay atop its conference schedule.
Fans, denied the usual electronic buzz, leaned on the stadium’s marching band and spontaneous chants, turning the interruption into a rare, old‑school football experience that highlighted the sport’s human element.
The episode underscored how modern college football’s reliance on sophisticated communication technology can be disrupted, reminding everyone that adaptability remains a core competency for players, coaches, and administrators alike.