SMU heads to Tallahassee on Monday night to open the 2026 season against Florida State, a rematch of last year’s meeting that the Mustangs won convincingly. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Doak Campbell Stadium, with the game airing on ESPN.
What happened last time
SMU beat Florida State 42-16 in their 2024 meeting, a lopsided result that still hangs over this rematch. The Mustangs’ offense pulled away in that game behind a balanced attack that Florida State’s defense never solved, and FSU will be looking to flip that script on its own field to start the new season.
How each team opened 2026
Florida State opened its 2026 campaign with a 34-17 win over New Mexico State, a result that gave the Seminoles a clean start but didn’t tell them much about how they’ll fare against power-conference competition. SMU enters the game looking to build on last season’s momentum and establish itself early against an ACC opponent with something to prove at home.
Quarterback matchup to watch
The game figures to turn heavily on how each team’s quarterback handles the pressure of a nationally televised, division-rival-adjacent opener. Florida State will be counting on its signal-caller to avoid the kind of mistakes that plagued the offense in the lopsided 2024 loss, while SMU’s passing game looks to pick up where it left off against an FSU secondary that will be seeing significant snaps for the first time this season.
BeezLoop News will update this article with the final score and postgame details once the game concludes.
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