Miami Hurricanes escape Wake Forest as Mensah makes history

Miami, Florida – The Miami Hurricanes overcame multiple injuries and a sloppy second half to vanquish Wake Forest 33-20 on Friday night, staying perfect. Darian Mensah and the offense were on a roll in the first half but stalled, while the defense held its ground in the second half. Mensah completed 24 straight passes, tying the FBS mark for the third-most consecutive completions in a single game. Furthermore, his 35 straight completions over the last two games are an ACC record and one short of the FBS record. Mensah is the first FBS player in at least 30 years to complete 85% of his passes in three straight games. The hard-fought victory is coach Mario Cristobal’s 100th win, making him the 18th active FBS coach with 100 career victories.  The injury bug struck in Miami’s dominant phase.

Mensah ➡️ Mali

You already know 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/MtcmHyVnYn

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) September 19, 2026

Mensah capped a 14-play opening drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Moore, who totaled three receptions for 16 yards. He completed 30 of 34 passes for 220 yards and three TDs. Defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr. suffered an apparent shoulder injury during Wake Forest’s initial possession. Fortunately for UM, Moten returned one drive later. Gio Lopez tied it with a 10-yard connection with Kamrean Johnson but was shut down the rest of the half. Wake Forest recorded just 18 total yards in the second quarter. Elija Lofton, meanwhile, caught a wide-open 21-yard TD as part of a five-reception and 39-yard performance. The Hurricanes led 24-7 at halftime thanks to Jake Weinberg’s 27-yard field goal, but it came at a cost.

32 Yard Run By Marty Brown but injured on the play pic.twitter.com/RO7AkL7LXp

— Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) September 19, 2026

Running back CharMar Brown went down after a 32-yard run midway through the second quarter. Brown was carted off the field with what was described as a right-knee injury. Mark Fletcher Jr. also departed late in the game with an upper-body injury. Fletcher had 16 carries for 85 yards, muscling past opposing defenders, and scored on a one-yard run.

Momentum shift

Miami kept rolling with Malachi Toney catching a two-yard touchdown, looking poised to bury the Demon Deacons. Toney, who caught 12 passes for 114 yards, was also banged up and missed significant playing time. This is when things got sloppy. Missed tackles and ineffective coverage, combined with a sudden lack of scoring, kept the game closer than what the final scoreboard suggested. Lopez was highly productive, throwing for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Wake Forest scored on a 23-yard play but missed a two-point conversion.

All FIGHT from Fletch 😤 pic.twitter.com/M48edxKBdo

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) September 19, 2026

After Miami struck on the first drive of the second half, they went on four straight 3-and-outs while Wake Forest drew closer with another TD to make it 31-20 early in the fourth. Despite struggling on several drives, the defense stopped its ACC rival’s rally four consecutive times. With Wake Forest deep in its own territory, edge rusher Damon Wilson II pressured the quarterback, forcing offensive lineman Tolu Olajide to commit a holding penalty inside the end zone, triggering the safety. Zechariah Poyser broke up a pass inside the red zone, causing a turnover on downs with 8:53 remaining. JJ Dunnigan hurried the QB into an incomplete pass for another turnover on downs with 5:27 remaining; he’d finish with three. Ethan O’Connor recorded the Canes’ first interception of the season with under three minutes to go, sealing the win.

Ethan O'Connor with the INT pic.twitter.com/bdRU7cEwqw

— Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) September 19, 2026

Impressions

The Hurricanes outlasted Wake Forest, tasting real pressure for the first time this season. Miami has a lot to clean up, and all eyes are on Marty Brown’s injury. I don’t know what the heck happened in the last two quarters, but it looked like the Canes forgot how to call plays. Wake Forest’s adjustments completely neutralized them. In fact, UM looked disturbingly one-dimensional without Toney. Daylyn Upshaw saw action, recording four receptions for 22 yards. Cooper Barkate had the same number of catches for 13 yards.

Mensah on the 💰 🔥

📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/SknlVluG4v

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) September 19, 2026

For the injuries, I’m not worried about Toney or Fletcher; I’m far more concerned about Brown. Javian Mallory helped close it out on the ground, collecting 23 yards on seven carries. The Canes produced 378 total yards, 158 of those rushing. They were four-for-four in the red zone but five-for-13 on third down. Congratulations on Mensah’s achievements as he continues to strengthen his Heisman case.

On defense, the team really needs OJ Frederique Jr. and Xavier Lucas back. Their absence showed in this battle. Wake Forest managed 334 total yards and was two-for-three in the red zone. O’Connor and Dunnigan led with eight tackles, five of those solo. UM committed seven penalties for 75 yards. Comparatively, the Demon Deacons were called for 13, costing them 137 yards. The body of work was disappointing; however, Miami bent and didn’t break. They notched three sacks, five tackles-for-loss, and nine QB hurries. Armondo Blount and Marquise Lightfoot were a presence for most of the evening, and Wilson’s safety was key. Wilson did get called for offsides on a 4th and 7 with 3:07 remaining. Fortunately, it wasn’t damaging. Onwards to week four!

About Post Author

Gabriel Garcia

Just an avid sports fan who happens to have a love-hate (mostly love) relationship with his local teams be it collegiate or professional and also happens to be a news junkie. Mix in outstanding optimism with cold realism and you’ve got yourself a balanced cocktail perfect for champions.

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