Much anticipation had built ahead of the Week 1 showdown between the SMU Mustangs and the Florida State Seminoles. However, the wait for the Mustangs’ season debut will take longer, as kickoff has been delayed due to a power outage at the stadium. In fact, there was a real risk of the game being postponed, but it seems disaster has been averted.
According to ESPN’s Taylor McGregor, new kickoff time has been set for 9:15 p.m. ET. However, because power hasn’t been restored entirely, the game will have many uncommon traits for NCAA football standards. Because it’s an ACC showdown with massive implications, it seems the show must go on, regardless.
“[ACC officials] believe they have enough light in order to play this game. But it’s going to get tricky, because not everything is back on,” McGregor reported. “The clock will come from the field, there will be no coach-to-player communication, no iPads. This is going to look very different, but they feel like they have enough so that they can play this game.”
At this point, it becomes worth considering if the Seminoles and Mustangs were better off calling the game off for the night and re-scheduling. However, that’s complex, as well. Florida State has a bye week and is at home so it really has no problem, but SMU will play on Saturday against UC Davis in Dallas.
A general view of Bobby Bowden field at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.
Another long delay in college football
The Seminoles hosted the New Mexico State Aggies last week for a night game, and the lights worked just fine. However, with all eyes in college football set on the action at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, a power outage has led to a long delay.
After waiting around for a while for the power to be restored, both head coaches agreed to head back inside and wait—probably in the dark—for the lights to come back on. It sure rings a bell for fans across college football, as Lane Kiffin’s debut with LSU against Clemson was also delayed, though due to inclement weather.
Contrary to what happened in Tallahassee, Kiffin actually disclosed his role behind the weather delay ahead of LSU’s win over Clemson. In this case, neither head coach has anything to do with the issue.
Power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium
Contrary to weather delays, which are pretty common in college football, a delay due to a power outage brings much more uncertainty. There is no fixed timeline for the game to resume, and it can only be addressed once the issue is actually solved.
According to ESPN’s broadcast team in Tallahassee, the stadium’s staff has already discovered where the issue is coming from but hasn’t been able to solve it just yet. For the time being, the game is still on, even if it’s in depleted playing conditions.
Although fans appear to have no trouble waiting around in the humidity and darkness, it’s far from ideal. However, as soon as the lights come up and the game can start, it will all be a fading memory, and perhaps the butt of a joke. How many Florida State staff members does it take to change a light bulb?
