Florida State ties SMU after comeback

Florida State finished tied 24-24 with No. 19 SMU on Monday, Sept. 7, after a game that looked statistically lopsided for most of the night. ESPN’s live game page showed SMU with 576 total yards to Florida State’s 302, and FOX Sports listed the gap at 491-230 earlier in the fourth quarter before the final totals updated. SMU led 24-17 with 12:37 left after Kevin Jennings hit Yannick Smith for a 79-yard touchdown, according to ESPN’s scoring log. Florida State answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended in Ashton Daniels’ 39-yard touchdown pass to Samuel Singleton Jr. with 8:17 left, tying the game at 24-24. The result drew attention because Florida State stayed alive despite losing most of the efficiency categories. (espn.com) ESPN showed SMU with 22 first downs to Florida State’s 16, 430 passing yards to 123, and a 26:17 to 31:43 possession split, while Florida State did not commit a turnover and SMU had four. ### How did Florida State get back into a game it was losing on the stat sheet? (espn.com) Florida State got back in the game by avoiding turnovers and leaning on a shorter scoring path in the second half. ESPN’s box score showed the Seminoles with zero turnovers, while SMU gave the ball away four times. Ousmane Kromah gave Florida State its third-quarter touchdown on a 7-yard run with 2:08 left in the period, cutting SMU’s lead to 17-17 before the Mustangs struck again. (espn.com) Daniels then produced the tying score through the air in the fourth quarter after Jennings had put SMU back ahead by seven. ### What made the numbers so unusual? SMU’s yardage edge was the clearest outlier. (espn.com) ESPN’s live stats listed 576 total yards for the Mustangs and 302 for Florida State, a difference of 274 yards, while FOX Sports’ in-game page showed a 491-230 split at one stage, a 261-yard margin that matched the social-media framing around the comeback. Third down was another major split. (espn.com) ESPN showed SMU converting 8 of 13 third downs and Florida State converting 2 of 13. FOX Sports’ earlier snapshot had Florida State at 0-for-10 on third down before later drives changed the final number. Kevin Jennings’ line underscored how much production SMU generated. ESPN credited the quarterback with 26 completions on 36 attempts for 430 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Daniels finished 12-for-20 for 123 yards and one touchdown. (espn.com) ### What did Rhett Lashlee say afterward? The social briefing tied to the game said SMU coach Rhett Lashlee reacted Sunday night by saying, “We’ve done everything we could to try to lose the game.” The quote circulated in posts that highlighted the Mustangs’ turnovers and Florida State’s late escape. (espn.com) That remark matched the shape of the box score. SMU moved the ball consistently, but the four giveaways kept Florida State within one score long enough for the Seminoles to answer in the fourth quarter. ### Which plays changed the game late? Jennings’ 79-yard touchdown to Smith at 12:37 of the fourth quarter looked like the play that might decide it. (dispatch.com) ESPN’s scoring summary showed the strike pushed SMU in front 24-17 after a three-play, 83-yard drive. Daniels’ answer came four minutes later. ESPN showed Florida State covering 75 yards in 4:20 before Daniels found Singleton for 39 yards and the tying score at 8:17. (espn.com) ### What comes next for both teams? FOX Sports’ schedule listing shows Florida State next against Alabama and SMU next against UC Davis. Florida State is listed at 1-0 and SMU at 0-0 on those pages tied to Monday’s game coverage. (espn.com) (foxsports.com)