What was the final score of the Florida State versus SMU football game that was delayed by a stadium power outage?
The game at Florida State was delayed for **nearly two hours** due to the stadium power outage.
Florida State expected a primetime showdown with SMU on Monday night.
Instead, the Seminoles spent nearly two hours waiting for their stadium lights to come back on.
The bizarre scene unfolded at Doak Campbell Stadium shortly before the scheduled kickoff. A power outage forced the game into an extended delay and immediately became the biggest story surrounding the matchup.
For Florida fans, it was also an open invitation for rivalry jokes.
FSU STADIUM POWER OUTAGE DELAYS SMU GAME BEFORE KICKOFF
The timing could hardly have been worse for Florida State.
Players from both teams had already taken the field when the stadium suddenly went dark. The outage affected the stadium’s normal game-day operations and left officials scrambling to determine whether the game could proceed.
The delay stretched to nearly two hours.
Eventually, the lights were restored enough for the teams to return and prepare for kickoff.
The game finally started at approximately 9:15 p.m. ET.
But the problems did not completely disappear when the lights came back.
FSU STADIUM POWER OUTAGE DELAYS SMU GAME AND DISRUPTS TECHNOLOGY
The power failure created unusual conditions for a major college football game.
Several normal stadium and sideline systems were unavailable.
That included important communication and game-day technology used by coaches and players.
The scoreboard was also not functioning normally, while the public-address system was unavailable.
The game clock had to be handled manually on the field.
For a nationally watched ACC matchup, the scene was anything but normal.
FSU STADIUM POWER OUTAGE DELAYS SMU GAME AND SETS SOCIAL MEDIA ABLAZE
Then came the inevitable Florida State-Florida rivalry reaction.
Florida fans quickly turned the blackout into comedy.
One of the most common jokes was that Florida State had simply forgotten to pay the electricity bill.
It was low-hanging fruit.
But rivalry fans rarely need much encouragement.
Florida offensive line coach Phil Trautwein also joined the conversation on social media.
He referenced Florida’s own stadium tradition, where the lights at The Swamp are turned off while fans sing along to Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.”
The difference was obvious.
Florida’s blackout was planned.
Florida State’s was not.
That distinction made the situation even easier for Gators fans to enjoy.
FSU STADIUM POWER OUTAGE DELAYS SMU GAME AND CREATES AN ACC HEADACHE
The incident was embarrassing beyond the rivalry.
Florida State remains one of the ACC’s most recognizable football programs.
When one of the conference’s biggest brands cannot start a primetime home game because the stadium has lost power, the optics are difficult to ignore.
It also came during an important period for the conference.
Florida State and Clemson have been at the center of the ACC’s ongoing instability and have pushed for changes to their conference situations.
That made Monday night’s scene even more uncomfortable.
Two of the ACC’s biggest football brands had already experienced difficult weekends.
Florida State then added a stadium power failure and a loss to the list.
FSU STADIUM POWER OUTAGE DELAYS SMU GAME BUT FLORIDA STATE STILL HAD TO PLAY
Once the game finally started, Florida State had an opportunity to change the conversation.
It could not.
SMU eventually defeated the Seminoles 27-24.
The loss was especially frustrating because Florida State had stretches where it remained competitive.
But the overall numbers favored SMU.
The Mustangs produced 585 total yards.
Florida State finished with only 324.
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings also delivered a huge performance, throwing for 430 yards and three touchdowns.
The Seminoles simply could not generate enough offense to finish the job.
FSU STADIUM POWER OUTAGE DELAYS SMU GAME AS MIKE NORVELL FACES MORE PRESSURE
The stadium failure will dominate social media for a while.
The football result is the bigger problem for Florida State.
Head coach Mike Norvell entered the season under pressure following a disastrous stretch for the program.
Another loss only adds to the scrutiny.
Florida State needed a strong performance against SMU.
Instead, the Seminoles lost a close game at home after a chaotic night that began before the opening kickoff.
Now the schedule gets even tougher.
Alabama is waiting.
That gives Norvell and his team little time to reset.
FSU STADIUM POWER OUTAGE DELAYS SMU GAME, BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS ON THE FIELD
The lights going out created the spectacle.
The football exposed the bigger issue.
Florida State cannot blame the power outage for being outgained by more than 250 yards.
It cannot blame the blackout for struggling on third down.
And it cannot use the unusual game conditions to erase another disappointing result.
The Seminoles had the opportunity to beat a ranked SMU team.
They lost by three points.
That is what Florida State fans will ultimately have to live with once the jokes about the lights disappear.
FSU STADIUM POWER OUTAGE DELAYS SMU GAME AND GIVES FLORIDA FANS MORE AMMO
The Florida-Florida State rivalry never needs much fuel.
Monday night provided plenty.
A stadium blackout.
A nearly two-hour delay.
A nationally televised game played under unusual conditions.
And, ultimately, a Florida State loss.
For Gators fans, it was almost too perfect.
Florida State will eventually move past the stadium embarrassment.
But the questions surrounding the football program will remain.
And with Alabama next, the Seminoles do not have much time to find answers.
FSU stadium power outage delays SMU game, but the real spotlight now falls on Florida State’s football program and what comes next.
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