Florida State had a chance to steal a win from No. 19 SMU. The Seminoles had already survived four turnovers, stayed within three points despite being badly outgained, and got the ball back with more than six minutes left. Then the drive fell apart.
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Instead of putting Florida State in position to take the lead, the possession ended with a sack. SMU took over, drove into field-goal range, and won 27-24 on Nick Reed’s kick with 21 seconds left. For Mike Norvell, it was another loss that leaves very little room for error, especially from his QB1.
According to Noles247’s John Evans on September 10, Norvell said Ashton Daniels should have pulled the ball on the first play of that possession. The decision became especially costly because Florida State never recovered from it. That criticism lands differently given where Norvell’s program sits right now.
The Seminoles entered the season with their coach already under heavy pressure. After the disastrous 2-10 campaign in 2024, Florida State made major changes around Norvell instead of firing him. The school brought in Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator and Tony White as defensive coordinator, hoping the staff overhaul could rescue the program. But to no avail.
Malzahn’s retirement later forced another change, with Norvell taking back play-calling duties. The SMU game did not make that decision look any better. Mike Norvell’s huge buyout somewhat helped him escape firing last year. But if the issues continue, it won’t be a surprise if the Seminoles ultimately decide to push that $51 million button. For one, FSU never looked like a team that wanted to win.
Florida State managed only 324 total yards. SMU piled up 585, including 430 through the air from quarterback Kevin Jennings. The Seminoles’ defense did force four turnovers, but those takeaways produced only seven points. Florida State also converted just 2 of 15 third downs. That left very little margin for error on offense.
Daniels finished 12-of-23 for 125 yards and one touchdown. He added 71 rushing yards and another score, so the QB was not completely ineffective. But his passing numbers were nowhere close to Jennings’ production, and SMU eventually forced Florida State into obvious passing situations. And it doesn’t take much imagination to know how Mike Norvell’s offense struggled.
SMU outgained Florida State 328-165 in the first half. Florida State’s defense had already spent most of the night chasing Jennings and trying to repair breakdowns before the game reached its final quarter. Even with two interceptions and other takeaways, the Seminoles could not consistently force SMU into long, uncomfortable drives. The Mustangs converted 8 of 14 third downs. As for Mike Norvell?
The Seminoles failed on their first 10 third-down attempts. Offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. later said the issues were not simply about plays being unavailable. He pointed to route depths, quarterback awareness, and players being where they were supposed to be. In other words, Florida State often created opportunities but failed to finish the play correctly. That’s where SMU’s defense quietly won its share of the game.