The Florida State Seminoles had nearly two hours to sit around and wait Monday night after a bizarre power outage delayed kickoff against No. 19 SMU.
Once the lights came back on, things didn’t get much better for Mike Norvell.
Florida State fell 27-24 at Doak Campbell Stadium in a sloppy game that SMU repeatedly gave the Seminoles chances to steal. The Mustangs turned the ball over four times, yet still piled up 585 total yards, including 430 through the air.
FSU managed just 336 yards, went 2-of-14 on third down and heard boos throughout the night.
The message from Seminoles fans toward Norvell was difficult to miss.
Mike Norvell Hears Boos During Florida State Loss
The frustration started before the game even kicked off.
During the power outage, Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde posted, “I don’t want to say Florida State has become a cursed program, but have they considered a stadium exorcism?”
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken was even more direct.
“This is really embarrassing for Florida State,” Wolken wrote.
But the criticism quickly moved from social media to inside Doak Campbell Stadium.
During a video package announcing the Florida State band would be playing during Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade this year, The Athletic’s David Ubben and On3’s Andy Staples both reported fans were loudly booing when Norvell appeared on the stadium video board.
Mike Norvell made the recorded announcement and he was booed when he came on the screen.
The crowd booed Norvell.
(It did cheer for the band.)
Those boos continued as FSU struggled to finish drives and stop SMU’s offense.
Florida State still had a chance late. After SMU went ahead 24-17 early in the fourth quarter, the Seminoles answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive to tie it. But with the game sitting at 24-24, SMU moved 70 yards on its final possession and kicked a 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining.
Even the final opportunity ended fittingly, with FSU fumbling on a desperation lateral as time expired.
The Mustangs did almost everything possible to keep Florida State alive. Kevin Jennings threw two interceptions, SMU lost two fumbles and the Seminoles repeatedly received opportunities to swing the game.
They never did.
Florida State Fans Turn Up Heat on Mike Norvell
Barstool Sports’ Liam Blutman summed up the frustration surrounding the program.
“The Florida State Seminoles used to mean something man. FSU used to be intimidating. College Football only benefits from a great FSU. This stuff is stale, bland, unexciting, and tiring. Tremendous fan base showing up every week for this garbage. Don’t kill them, reward them.”
After the loss, Forde pointed to the unusual turnover circumstances before adding, “Trajectories of SMU and FSU continue to diverge.”
Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger put the result directly in the context of Norvell’s future.
“In a pivotal year for Mike Norvell’s future, Florida State loses at home to SMU, 27-24, in an ugly performance serenaded by consistent boos from the Tallahassee crowd,” Dellenger wrote. “Next up: Alabama in Tuscaloosa.”
Norvell entered 2026 with a 38-34 record at Florida State after consecutive losing seasons. The Seminoles’ Week 0 win over New Mexico State moved him to 39-34, but Monday’s loss dropped him to 39-35.
Since Florida State’s 13-0 start in 2023, the Seminoles are just 8-19.
The crowd had already booed during an uneven season-opening win over New Mexico State. Against SMU, those frustrations only grew louder.
Florida State got four SMU turnovers and a home crowd that waited through a power outage to see it play.
The Seminoles still couldn’t reward them with a win.
Florida State Fans Turn on Mike Norvell During Brutal SMU Loss