FSU-SMU Game Resumes at 9:15 p.m. After 2-Hour Stadium Outage

Q: Did the desperate repair effort save the prime-time matchup between Florida State and SMU, or did the blown transformer force a cancellation?

The repair effort had not saved the game as of the latest reports; the matchup was delayed, not canceled. Both the original report and follow-up coverage say Florida State staff tried to restore power after the outage hit just before the 7:30 p.m. kickoff, but the reset attempt failed when a transformer blew. ESPN described a last-ditch “Hail Mary” effort to get the lights back on by around 9 p.m. ET, with the alternative being a possible postponement until the next day if that failed. There was no confirmed cancellation in the latest available information. Instead, both teams left the field at 7:53 p.m. and returned to their locker rooms while officials, school administrators and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips discussed options. SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said both teams had agreed to a short warmup — about 10 minutes — before kickoff if power was restored. So the blown transformer did force a lengthy delay and derailed the scheduled start, but it had not yet forced an outright cancellation based on the available reporting. The game’s status remained unresolved pending the next update from Florida State officials and stadium operations.

3 articles · Updated · WCTV · Sep 8

Kickoff at Doak Campbell Stadium was pushed from 7:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Monday after a nearly two-hour power outage halted the FSU-SMU game.
Florida State Athletics said an electrical short in the main transformer disrupted power to the west side tower, leaving the game suspended while electricians worked on repairs.
Field lights returned first, and the public-address system and music came back online as play continued; the city outage map listed the outage at 6:41 p.m. with restoration estimated for 9:26 p.m.
Earlier reports said the outage also knocked out coach-to-player communication, iPads and the scoreboard, forcing officials and teams to operate with partial stadium systems.