TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — No. 19 SMU defeated Florida State 27-24 on Monday night, with kicker Nick Reed making a 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds left to seal the road victory.
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings completed 26 of 36 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns despite throwing two interceptions. The senior from Oak Cliff, Texas, led a decisive final drive that capped SMU's comeback.
The game was delayed nearly two hours due to a power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium.
"We just stayed going," Jennings told ESPN's Taylor McGregor. "You're going to make mistakes. It's the first game of the year. You just have to learn from them and keep going."
Jennings connected with nine different receivers. His touchdown passes included a 50-yard strike to Jalen Cooper and a 10-yard throw to Randy Pittman, a transfer from Florida State who scored against his former team. Receiver Yannick Smith caught five passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.
"It's easy for me, just go through my reads and find the open guy," Jennings said on the ACC Network postgame show. "Just put the ball in their hands, and know that they're going to make a play."
SMU accumulated 585 total yards and converted eight of 14 third-down opportunities. The Mustangs engineered two separate scoring drives in the fourth quarter to secure the comeback.
SMU improved to 1-0 overall and 1-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Florida State fell to 1-1.
The Mustangs host FCS UC Davis, which is 2-0, on Saturday in Dallas for their home opener.
