The Unexpected Outage
The Monday night showdown between SMU and Florida State was slated to begin at 7:35 p.m. EST at Doak S. Campbell Stadium, but a sudden power surge forced a two‑hour delay that pushed kickoff to 9:15 p.m.
The disruption stemmed from an electrical short in the main transformer located on the west side tower, which cut power to the stadium and halted the game after just 45 minutes of play.
Both squads retreated to their locker rooms during the outage, only to reconvene at 9 p.m. for warm‑up drills before resuming the contest under dim lights and limited equipment.
The blackout stripped the game of several key technologies, including the game clock, play clock, live statistics, video replay and in‑helmet communication, leaving players to rely on traditional on‑field signals.
SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee noted that such interruptions are not uncommon in football, often comparing them to weather‑related stoppages, while Florida State head coach Mike Norvell highlighted the communication challenges his team faced during the hiatus.
Despite the technical deficits, SMU struck early, with quarterback Kevin Jennings connecting on a wide‑open pass to Jalen Cooper for a touchdown in the first quarter, a momentum builder that helped the Mustangs stay ahead.
By halftime, most of the stadium’s technology had been restored, with lights fully operational and several in‑game features returning to service, allowing the contest to continue with reduced impediments.