Miami started off strong but slowed down in the second half against Wake Forest, then held on for a 33-20 victory Friday night.
The fifth-ranked Hurricanes improved to 3-0 and 2-0 in the ACC, while Wake Forest fell to 2-1 and 0-1 in conference play.
CANES WIN! ✅ pic.twitter.com/1ZJCdm2TiC
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) September 19, 2026
Miami defeats Wake Forest 33-20
Darian Mensah has delivered a historic start to the season and at the beginning of this game he looked untouchable. The Miami quarterback completed his first 24 passes and finished 30 of 34 for 220 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
The FBS record for consecutive completions to start a game is 26, set by East Carolina's Dominique Davis against Navy in 2011.
He entered the night 41 of 45 for 653 yards and eight scores through two games, and he has been on another level across the first three weeks. His first incompletion did not come until late in the third quarter, when a scramble forced him to throw the ball away. Even though Miami hasn't faced a ranked team yet, Mensah has built a foundation for himself to chase the Heisman trophy.
Mensah found Joshua Moore for a 9-yard touchdown on the opening drive, a 14-play, 92-yard march that set the tone. Wake Forest answered with a 10-yard scoring pass from Gio Lopez to Kamrean Johnson to tie it at 7-7. Miami pulled away in the second quarter when Mensah hit tight end Elija Lofton for a 21-yard touchdown, Mark Fletcher Jr. scored on a 1-yard run, and Jake Weinberg added a 27-yard field goal as time expired in the half for a 24-7 lead.
Malachi Toney was sharp as usual, finishing with 12 catches for 114 yards and a 2-yard touchdown early in the third quarter that made it 31-7. Moore's early score and continued involvement made him look like the clear WR3 in an offense that has solidified itself among the best in the country.
The Hurricanes cooled off in the second half
Wake Forest could not run the ball, finishing with only 22 rushing yards, but Lopez kept the Demon Deacons alive through the air. He completed 29 of 47 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Jack Foley had a 23-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and Carlos Hernandez scored on a 17-yard catch early in the fourth to cut the deficit to 31-20.
A safety after a holding penalty in the end zone made it 33-20, which ended up being the final score.
Miami's pass rush was crucial and the defensive front kept Wake Forest from establishing any ground game. The secondary, thinned by injuries entering the night, looked like the weakest link. When it mattered, though, the Hurricanes defensive backfield came up with a play. Ethan O'Connor intercepted Lopez near the Miami 4-yard line with 2:30 remaining and that ended the last threat from the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest had some costly penalties down the stretch and if they were able to eliminate those, Miami would have been in a lot more trouble than they already were.
The win did not come without a cost
CharMar Brown broke a 32-yard run to the Wake Forest 1 in the second quarter, then stayed down with a right knee injury and was brought to the locker room. The broadcast chose not to show the injury because of the severity and that is never a good sign.
Ahmad Moten Sr. left early with a left arm injury but returned later in the first half. Toney, Fletcher and others were banged up as the night went on, and Fletcher was taken to the locker room late with an upper-body issue.
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