Miami at Wake Forest: How to watch, weather, injuries, odds, announcers, and more

No. 5 Miami faces a second ACC road test on Friday night against Wake Forest. The Hurricanes are 2-0 after a 45-6 win at Stanford and a 77-7 home opener against Florida A&M. The Demon Deacons are also 2-0 after beating Akron 38-16 and Purdue 38-36 in double overtime.

How to watch Miami at Wake Forest

• Date: Friday, Sept. 18
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• TV: ESPN
• Streaming: ESPN app, FuboTV, and other ESPN carriers
• Miami radio: 104.3 WQAM
• Wake Forest radio: 98.1 WBRF

Announcers for Miami at Wake Forest

ESPN has assigned Mike Monaco on play-by-play, Jordan Rodgers as the analyst and Dana Boyle on the sideline. That is the same crew that called Miami's season opener at Stanford.

Odds for Miami at Wake Forest

Miami is a double-digit road favorite. Consensus lines as of Tuesday:

• Spread: Miami -20.5 to -21.5 points
• Moneyline: Miami -1350 to -1800
• Total: 55.5-56.5 points

Weather forecast in Winston-Salem

Friday in Winston-Salem is expected to be warm and dry, with afternoon highs in the low 90s and little storm risk around kickoff. Conditions at 7:30 p.m. should be in the upper 70s with light wind.

Plan for a comfortable evening at the stadium after a hot afternoon.

All-time series

Miami leads the series 9-3 and has won eight in a row, including a 42-14 victory at Hard Rock Stadium in November of 2024. Miami is 3-0 all-time in Winston-Salem.

Injury report snapshot

Miami

• Junior cornerback OJ Frederique Jr. suffered a significant left shoulder injury on the second snap of the Stanford game and is still out.
• Sophomore defensive back Ja'Boree Antoine was ruled out before the game against Stanford and is expected back in the second half of the season.
• Starting cornerback Xavier Lucas did not play against Florida A&M and is expected to miss about a month.
• Tight end Luka Gilbert is out for the season.

Miami at Wake Forest: Keys storylines

1. Miami has to weather the storm in the defensive backfield

The Hurricanes have lost multiple talented DBs and will be relying on a very young group to hold things down until the middle of the season. Wake Forest will try to stress that group and Miami will need to answer. Damari Brown, Bryce Fitzgerald, Ethan O'Connor and freshman JJ Dunnigan are now in larger roles.

2. Miami's offense can control the pace of the game

Wake Forest's defense will have a lot on their hands when it comes to Miami's offense. Javian Mallory, Mark Fletcher Jr., CharMar Brown and Girard Pringle Jr. give Miami a RB rotation that can control the clock. And the Canes' passing game has been well documented to begin the season. For Wake Forest to compete, either their offense is going to need a program-record night, or the defense must show it can slow down Mensah and company.

3. This is not Florida A&M and Wake Forest projects to be better than Stanford

Miami scored 77 points last Thursday against an FCS opponent that was clearly outmatched. The Hurricanes haven't been tested yet, and Wake Forest could be a team that punches back. The Hurricanes have to make sure not to play with their food in this game.

Players to watch in Miami at Wake Forest

Miami Hurricanes

• Darian Mensah, QB: 653 yards and eight touchdowns on 91.1% passing through two games.
• Malachi Toney, WR: 16 catches for 330 yards and four touchdowns this season.
• Javian Mallory, RB: 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns through two games.
• Mark Fletcher Jr., RB: 145 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries this year.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

• Gio Lopez, QB: 21 of 32 for 350 yards and three touchdowns against Akron, then 16 of 27 for 225 yards with 59 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against Purdue.
• Ty Clark III, RB: Wake Forest's leading rusher with 141 yards through two games.
• Carlos Hernandez, WR: 11 receptions for 253 yards and one touchdown on the season.

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