Then the lights actually went out. A power outage at Doak Campbell delayed the game nearly 2 hours before a single snap, turning what was supposed to be a Monday-night tone-setter into a late finish for everybody involved.
The absences showed up early. Jennings found Jalen Cooper behind Florida State's thinned secondary for a 50-yard score on SMU's first real possession, and by the fourth quarter Yannick Smith was matching it with a 79-yard touchdown catch of his own. Florida State didn't fold — Ashton Daniels answered with an 8-yard touchdown run and later found Samuel Singleton Jr. for a 39-yard score to keep pace — but a defense already down multiple defensive backs had no answer for a Mustangs passing game hunting deep shots all 4 quarters.
It came down to the final minute. Florida State forced 2 Jennings interceptions and turned a fumbled punt into points, clawing back to tie the game before Nick Reed's 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds left won it for SMU. Jennings finished 26-of-36 for a career-best 430 yards and 3 touchdowns — the most passing yards by a Mustang since Tanner Mordecai's 432 back in 2022 — while SMU piled up 585 total yards, the most ever gained by the program against an ACC opponent, and Florida State converted just 2 of 15 third downs.