The Labor Day clash between Florida State and No. 19 SMU was thrown into disarray Monday evening when a significant power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium delayed the game and forced teams to play without essential modern equipment.
The ACC showdown, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff in Tallahassee, experienced a massive power failure just moments after both teams had taken the field. Officials initially kept the teams on their respective sidelines before ordering them back to the locker rooms as the delay extended.
Approximately 30 individuals, including ACC commissioner Jim Phillips and the athletic directors and presidents of both universities, convened at 8:15 p.m. to explore all avenues for restoring power. Administrators considered the situation a last-resort, with discussions including the possibility of postponing the game to Tuesday.
Ultimately, officials and school leaders agreed to commence the game under partial stadium lighting rather than postpone. The contest officially began at 9:15 p.m. ET, nearly two hours after its original start time. The official game clock was kept on the field.
According to the ESPN broadcast, the game proceeded without a scoreboard, public address announcer, or sideline iPads. Coach-to-player helmet communication systems were also entirely offline, although booth-to-sideline communication remained operational.
The lack of helmet communication presented a particular challenge for SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee, who told ESPN that his team had not practiced without such systems in two years. Players returned to the field for a brief warm-up around 9:00 p.m. before the ACC opener finally kicked off with these diminished electronic capabilities.
