The power went out at Doak Campbell Stadium on Monday night. And, really, could there be a more perfect metaphor for Florida State football? The lights went dark. The scoreboard disappeared. The Wi-Fi went down.

FSU right now has enough noise in the system to drown out the Marching Chiefs. Every incompletion is a referendum on Norvell. Every missed tackle is another reason he should be fired. Even after the season-opening victory, the prevailing reaction wasn’t relief or encouragement. It was ridicule because the Seminoles didn’t win impressively enough.

A vast majority of Seminole fans are officially over the Mike Norvell Era.

Florida State forced four turnovers and committed none of its own, yet still walked away with a 27-24 loss to SMU. The difference? Explosive plays. The Mustangs repeatedly found big gains, exposing a defense that couldn’t get off the field.

Sep 7, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell reacts during the first half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Melina Myers / Imagn Images Until Saturday Newsletter 🏈 | This is ...

Florida State's Labor Day loss to SMU stretched college football beyond Saturday, but the close score at Doak Campbell Stadium may save Mike Norvell.

The No. 20 SMU Mustangs travel to take on the Florida State Seminoles in a Week 1 ACC matchup. Follow along for the live score, updates and highlights

Breaking down FSU's snap counts from Week 1 against SMU, including notable changes, injury absences, and more. Florida State is trying to go blow-for-blow with No. 19 SMU, coming up short so far as the Seminoles trail the Mustangs 17-10.