A depleted secondary and stagnant offense nearly doomed the No. 5 Miami Hurricanes, who overcame a record-breaking passing performance and mounting injuries to secure a gritty road victory in Winston-Salem.
The No. 5 Miami Hurricanes escaped Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with a 33-20 win and survived the Wake Forest Demon Deacons’ surging second-half offense.
It’s no secret that this matchup would likely be head coach Mario Cristobal's and the team’s first legitimate test of the season. Although the response wasn’t great, it was enough to prevent a near collapse.
The Hurricanes’ secondary is depleted with the injuries of three cornerbacks: Romanas “OJ” Frederique Jr., Xavier Lucas, and Ja’Boree Antoine.
Ethan O’Connor, Bryce Fitzgerald, and Omar Thornton (nickelback) started against Wake Forest, plus Damari Brown filled in as a reserve. The Hurricanes’ secondary allowed eight big passing plays of at least a gain of 15 yards, two of which resulted in touchdowns.
Frederique Jr. and Antoine are expected to be sidelined for most of the season; meanwhile, Lucas has a timeline to return next month. The result of the injuries showed, especially in Wake Forest’s third-quarter run.
The main positive was O’Connor grabbing the Hurricanes’ first interception of the season in the fourth quarter on a third-and-10 situation. It ultimately was the game-sealer.
Meanwhile, offensively, the Hurricanes were stagnant in the second half and were held to 75 total yards. Injuries played a role as CharMar “Marty” Brown was carted off the sidelines with a right leg injury; Mark Fletcher Jr. and Malachi Toney were both limited with upper-body injuries.
Wake Forest’s wide receiver Carlos Hernandez had a significant role in the second half. He caught 10 passes for 69 yards and scored a 17-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Hernandez had three big plays to keep Wake Forest’s momentum going. It just wasn’t enough in the end, but he got around the Hurricanes’ secondary.
Darian Mensah’s historic night was overshadowed by the team’s overall performance. He broke a program and Atlantic Coast Conference record of 35 consecutive completions, including 24 consecutive completions against Wake Forest. Mensah threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Mensah, who usually thrives under pressure, couldn’t ignite the offense in the second half.
The Hurricanes had three consecutive three-and-outs in the fourth quarter.
It wasn’t a glamorous win like the first two, but Wake Forest shouldn’t be undervalued. The Hurricanes will have several injuries to evaluate, especially Brown, upon returning to Coral Gables. It was the team’s first time completing for a full four quarters this season. The Hurricanes gained more experience and advanced to a 3-0 record (ACC 2-0).
They will prepare for Central Michigan next Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, then the rest of the schedule consists of ACC opponents, plus a primetime showdown against No. 3 Notre Dame at South Bend, Indiana.
Anthony Aguirre covers the Miami Hurricanes and Miami Heat for Roundtable Sports. Contact info for tips/info: [email protected] & 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
