The Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles are gearing up for an exciting matchup against the No. 19 Southern Methodist University (SMU) Mustangs on Monday night at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. This game marks FSU's second outing of the season, having secured a 34-17 victory over New Mexico State in their season opener.
This clash will be only the second meeting between the two programs, with SMU having previously triumphed over the Seminoles 42-16 in 2024 during their encounter in Dallas. Since that game, FSU has struggled to find its footing, finishing the 2024 season with a disappointing 2-10 record and following it up with a slightly better 5-7 season last year. In contrast, SMU has experienced a surge in success since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Mustangs achieved an impressive 11-3 record in 2024, which included their inaugural appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Despite a slight regression last season, where they concluded with a 9-4 record, SMU is determined to make another playoff push this year. The Mustangs will rely on quarterback Kevin Jennings, who is expected to lead their offensive efforts, making this matchup one of the most challenging for FSU this season.
In anticipation of the FSU-SMU game, ESPN's Bill Connelly utilized his SP+ metrics to forecast the outcome. His prediction suggests that SMU will narrowly defeat FSU with a final score of 27-25. According to Connelly's analysis, the Mustangs have a 54% chance of winning this contest, indicating a closely contested game.
Following their Week 0 performance, FSU currently ranks No. 37 in the SP+ team rankings, boasting an overall rating of 60.0. Their offensive rating stands at 55.3, while their defense has a rating of -5.0. On the other hand, SMU holds the No. 26 spot in the rankings, with a higher overall rating of 64.2, an offensive rating of 58.6, and a defensive rating of -6.0.
The highly anticipated game is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday at Doak Campbell Stadium. Fans can catch the action live on ESPN, where Dave Pasch will serve as the play-by-play announcer, Dusty Dvoracek will provide color commentary, and Taylor McGregor will report from the sidelines.
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