Monday night is bringing some serious college football action to Tallahassee, with the No. 19 SMU Mustangs rolling into Doak Campbell Stadium to take on Florida State at 7:30 p.m. ET. This isn’t just any Week 1 finale, it’s an ACC showdown that puts FSU’s hot start to the test against a team that knows how to win.
FSU’s Early Test and SMU’s Star QB
Florida State kicked off their 2026 season with a solid 34-17 win against New Mexico State. After going 5-7 last year, that’s exactly the kind of start they wanted, especially after taking down then-No. 8 Alabama 31-17 to open 2025. They’ve shown they can win big games, but now they’re facing a ranked foe early. Running back Ousmane Kromah powered through for 115 yards and a rushing touchdown in that opener, with Samuel Singleton Jr. adding both a receiving and a rushing score. Those guys are going to have to go off again, because SMU is not playing around. The Mustangs have put together a seriously impressive 20-7 record over their first two campaigns in the ACC, and they closed out their previous 11 seasons in the AAC with five straight winning records. They know how to compete. Their fifth-year quarterback, Kevin Jennings, is the real deal. Last season, he was tied for eighth in the nation with 3,641 passing yards, slinging 26 touchdown tosses and even adding four scores on the ground. That kind of dual threat talent makes him a nightmare for defenses.
Wild Card Battles Heating Up in MLB
It’s not just college football on the docket tonight, baseball fans! We’ve got 11 MLB games hitting the diamond, and a couple of them have some real stakes. Over at Petco Park, the Washington Nationals (67-78) are kicking off a three-game series against the San Diego Padres (75-68) at 5:10 p.m. ET. The Nats are reeling, having been swept by the Dodgers over the weekend for a four-game losing streak. The Padres, though, are coming in hot, taking two out of three from the New York Yankees. They’re only half a game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third wild card spot in the National League, so every single game counts right now.
Later tonight, the St. Louis Cardinals (72-72) are trying to keep their postseason hopes alive as they visit the San Francisco Giants (59-85) at Oracle Park for an 8:10 p.m. ET start. The Cardinals have won four of their last six games, which is huge, but they’re still four games back of Arizona in that wild card race. The Giants just wrapped up a 3-4 road trip with a 4-2 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday, so they’ll be looking to turn things around at home.
Tonight’s slate is packed with matchups that could shape the college football and MLB pictures. Whether you’re watching Jennings light up the scoreboard in Tallahassee or following the wild card hunt in baseball, there’s plenty to get hyped about as these teams fight to make their mark.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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