SMU Defeats FSU in Week 1 Game Played Without Stadium Lights, Helmet Communication

A power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium forced SMU and Florida State to play Monday night under conditions not typical of modern college football: no stadium lights, no coach-to-player helmet communication, no iPads, no instant replay, and no PA announcer. The game, originally scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, started at 9:15 p.m. ET after nearly two hours of delay. The outage occurred when stadium staff attempted to reset a transformer just before the scheduled start, according to Front Office Sports reporting. The reset attempt ended up blowing out the transformer altogether, leaving Doak Campbell Stadium without power for the two-hour window. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips remained on the field during the delay, staying in communication with the athletic directors of both FSU and SMU. Delaying the game until Tuesday was discussed as a possibility; FSU has a bye week in Week 2 so the impact on the Seminoles would have been minimal. SMU is scheduled to host UC Davis on Saturday in Texas. With no electricity in the press box, there was no PA announcer. Referees kept the official game clock on the field; ESPN's broadcast clock was unofficial and synced with officials during each commercial break. Both teams operated without the technological infrastructure that define modern football operations: no helmet communication systems connecting coaches to players, no iPad access for play-calling or adjustment, and no instant replay for review. A few minutes before the end of the first half, some technological functions returned, including coach-to-player communication and a synced game clock. The decision to proceed rather than postpone drew mixed reaction from broadcast analysts. ESPN's Jimbo Fisher called the decision "unbelievable." ESPN's Eddie Royal said he would "move the game." ESPN's Eric Mac Lain argued the teams should "do whatever you can to get this game done." Play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch said just before kickoff it would be "like playing a game in 1990."