Car crash delays SMU–Florida State game

Florida State’s game against No. 19 SMU on Monday, Sept. 7, was delayed nearly two hours after a power outage hit Doak Campbell Stadium just before the scheduled 7:30 p.m. EDT kickoff. The outage stopped the stadium countdown clock at 7:30 p.m., darkened parts of the venue and sent both teams back to their locker rooms after they had already taken the field. (wral.com) The game eventually began at 9:15 p.m. EDT, according to the Associated Press and local reports. A statement shown on the stadium videoboard during the delay said technical staff were addressing a power disruption to the west side tower caused by an electrical short in the main transformer. (wral.com) News4JAX, citing ESPN, reported that a transformer blew on the west side of the stadium. The upstream social briefing for this story said early social-media reports described a car crash into electrical equipment on Florida State’s campus, but that specific cause was not confirmed in the reporting reviewed here. ### How long was the delay, exactly? The delay lasted about 1 hour and 45 minutes, the Associated Press reported. Florida State and SMU returned to the field for warmups at 9 p.m. (wral.com) EDT, and the game kicked off at 9:15 p.m. EDT. The outage began just minutes before kickoff, after both teams had emerged from their tunnels and reached the sidelines. AP reported that the stadium lights went out and the clock stopped, while local coverage said the press box, sound systems and floodlights were affected. ### What parts of the stadium were affected? (wral.com) Doak Campbell Stadium lost more than just lights. AP reported that the game began under “less than ideal conditions,” with not all stadium lights operating even after power was partially restored. (wral.com) News4JAX and ESPN reported that the game proceeded without coach-to-player headset communication, sideline tablets, the public-address system and the scoreboard. TheScore, citing ESPN’s Taylor McGregor, also reported there was no replay capability at kickoff and that electronics were expected to return gradually during the game. (wral.com) ### What did officials and administrators do during the stoppage? ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips met on the field with Florida State athletic director Michael Alford and SMU athletic director Damon Evans during the delay, AP reported. Administrators later moved inside to discuss options as crews worked on the outage. (wral.com) A videoboard message told fans that electricians were working to restore service after an electrical short in the main transformer. That message also said the game remained suspended and that an update would follow. (news4jax.com) ### What was the scene like inside the stadium? Florida State and SMU players initially stayed on the sidelines before being sent back to the locker rooms, AP reported. A few specialists later returned to warm up on the field while fans waited. Florida State’s band played in one end zone during the stoppage, and fans did the wave and batted beach balls around the stands, according to AP. (wral.com) On social media, fans and commentators also posted jokes and complaints about the lack of electronics, with some tying the moment to broader frustrations over replay reviews and clock management in college football, according to the story briefing and posts that circulated during the delay. ### What is verified, and what remains unconfirmed? The confirmed facts are that a power outage delayed the game, the outage began around 7:30 p.m. EDT, and the game started at 9:15 p.m. EDT with several systems unavailable. (wral.com) Those details were reported by AP, News4JAX and ESPN-based accounts of the broadcast. The specific claim that a car crashed into electrical equipment on campus appeared in early social-media circulation and in the source briefing that prompted this card, but it was not confirmed in the reporting reviewed here. Florida State and SMU completed the game after the delayed start, and any further official explanation would likely come from the university, stadium operations staff or the ACC after Sept. 7. (wral.com)