Trey Hedden completed 11 of 14 third-down passes for 169 yards against FSU's soft coverage last week, and Kevin Jennings, while smaller at 6-foot, 195 pounds, has an even livelier arm and better ability to create off schedule.

FSU can't play so passively underneath that it lets SMU's tempo turn the game into a track meet, especially given how quickly Jennings gets through his reads when things are open immediately.

Jennings completes just over 50 percent of his throws under pressure with a worse touchdown-to-interception ratio, but blitzing him specifically backfires. He's thrown 21 touchdowns to six picks against the blitz, getting rid of the ball in 2.5 seconds when he sees it coming.

FSU's best path is generating pressure with four rushers winning one-on-ones, the way Jalen Anderson did last week, rather than sending extra numbers and opening space in coverage.

New defensive coordinator Maurice Crum Jr. ran Cover 3 more than 50 percent of the time in his last play-calling stint, nearly identical to SMU's own tendencies last season, meaning underneath sticks-and-spacing concepts should be available.

Daniels was most effective at Auburn getting the ball out quickly and using his legs as a real weapon, neither of which FSU emphasized enough against New Mexico State.

Henshaw was honest about his disappointment despite the win: "The way we played didn't make me feel good at all. That is not the way that Florida State is supposed to play." He recalled Bowden's own philosophy on busted assignments, that missed plays are a coaching failure to communicate, not just a player mistake.

He praised the perimeter blocking and screen game specifically, comparing FSU's usage to how Andy Reid has built the Kansas City Chiefs' offense around screens rather than just downfield passing.

Henshaw's advice was blunt: "You have to win the line of scrimmage," pointing to how Virginia neutralized a hyped NC State quarterback simply by dominating in the trenches on both sides.

He also invoked last year's Alabama win as proof it's possible: "We dominated Alabama's offensive and defensive lines in that game, and their first-round pick at quarterback didn't look good at all. We sent him and their team out of here crying."

Jennings has thrown for back-to-back 3,000-yard seasons and produced seven 300-yard games since taking over as SMU's starter, torching FSU for 254 yards and three touchdowns in their only previous meeting in 2024.

Tony White called him "mobile as heck" with the trust in his receivers to make plays even under duress. "Guys are blitzing him and he runs back and he tosses the ball up and those guys come down with the ball," White said.

Jennings completed just 58.9 percent of his passes away from Dallas last season compared to 74.2 percent at home, throwing 11 touchdowns to seven interceptions on the road.

He's also coming off a finger injury that cost him practice time in fall camp, adding a layer of uncertainty to how sharp he'll look in his first road start of the season.

Pittman originally committed to FSU out of high school before flipping to UCF, then followed Gus Malzahn to Tallahassee when Malzahn left UCF to join Norvell's staff, becoming FSU's starting tight end in 2025.

He made program history against Virginia last season, becoming just the third Seminole ever to record a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game, before transferring to SMU this offseason.

Pittman has been briefing his new SMU teammates on what to expect at Doak Campbell Stadium. "Just a little bit about the hostility, the environment," he said. "We had a bad year last year, but those guys are going to put up a fight."

He also offered a specific scouting note on FSU's defense: "They really run that robber, three-down front. So just to expose that a little bit, try to move the ball the best we can."

Wide receiver Tae'Shaun Gelsey and defensive back K.J. Kirkland both moved from questionable to doubtful, while defensive lineman Darryll Desir slid from probable to questionable.

Tight end Gavin Markey joins that doubtful group as well, leaving FSU with real uncertainty at two different position groups heading into Monday.

SMU's report had zero changes from Friday to Saturday, suggesting a healthier overall picture for the Mustangs heading into their season opener.

FSU's probable list still includes several key contributors, Bradyn Welch-Joiner, Kevin Wynn, Caleb LaVallee, Quindarrius Jones and Ashlynd Barker, giving the staff some clarity on its core group even amid the other uncertainty.

Across 17 combined staff picks from Noles247 and Tomahawk Nation, all but two predicted an SMU win, with margins ranging from 3 points to 21, and a rough average landing right around a two-score Mustangs victory.

The recurring themes were near-universal: concerns about FSU's offensive line against SMU's pass rush, worry that the secondary's third-down issues would repeat against a better quarterback, and skepticism that Ashton Daniels can be more than serviceable in his second start.

The two predictions calling for an FSU win both leaned on situational trends rather than pure talent, citing FSU's strong recent home record and the historical tendency for teams coming off a Week 0 game to cover against opponents playing their opener.

One picker specifically noted that under Lashlee, SMU is 0-4 in true road openers against a Power Four opponent following a tune-up game, a trend FSU is hoping continues.

FSU's staff is specifically working to flip Florida cornerback commit Kamarion Johnson and Alabama cornerback pledge Darrius White, with one report describing FSU as loving Johnson enough that just getting him to attend would be considered a win.

Top pledge Ta'Shawn Poole and top 2028 target Prince Che, who is bringing Kennesaw State commit Isaac Andrews along with him, are also expected in Tallahassee for the game.

Charlie Woods, son of Tiger Woods and an FSU men's golf commit, signed an NIL deal with TaylorMade, joining Miami golf signee Kai Trump and future FSU teammate Miles Russell on the brand's amateur roster.

Woods committed to FSU in February and is currently playing in the Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, opening with a 1-under 71 that has him tied for eighth after the first round.

FSU dropped a 3-1 decision to host Lipscomb Saturday, with Delaney Ewing leading the way with 12 kills on .429 hitting and Kyleene Filimaua recording her second straight double-double (11 kills, 15 digs).

The Seminoles open a six-game homestand Tuesday, hosting Auburn as part of the ACC-SEC Showdown at the Net.

No. 15 FSU (4-1-0) hosts Rice Sunday at noon looking to close out non-conference play with a win, riding the momentum of Sam Erbach's two-goal comeback performance at Georgia.

FSU will be without three players competing in the U-20 Women's World Cup, but the Seminoles haven't lost a non-conference home game since September 2014.