Yesterday we said there was one game Miami fans should keep an eye on while the Hurricanes enjoyed their Saturday off.
It turned out to be worth watching.
Wake Forest survived Purdue 38-36 in double overtime, setting up an unbeaten Friday night ACC meeting with No. 7 Miami in Winston-Salem.
Both teams are 2-0.
Friday just became a little more interesting.
Wake Forest needed every minute at Purdue
And escaped is probably the right word.
Wake led 20-10 during the second half before Purdue fought back and forced overtime with a field goal as regulation expired.
The Boilermakers then scored first in the second overtime to take a 36-30 lead but failed on the mandatory two-point conversion.
That opened the door.
Wake quarterback Gio Lopez ran for the tying touchdown before keeping the ball himself again on the two-point conversion to win it.
So Miami will not be walking into Allegacy Stadium against a team short of confidence.
Wake have already shown they can survive a difficult road game and find a way to finish.
Gio Lopez gives Miami a different problem
Lopez remains the obvious player to watch.
He completed 16 of 27 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown at Purdue, but his biggest impact came on the ground.
Lopez led Wake Forest with 59 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including the score and conversion that won the game.
Through two starts, he has thrown for 575 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
That gives Miami something different to prepare for.
The Hurricanes have been outstanding defensively so far, with neither Stanford nor FAMU scoring an offensive touchdown.
Wake should provide a much sterner test.
Lopez can extend plays with his legs, while Carlos Hernandez gives him a dangerous option downfield after catching six passes for 88 yards at Purdue.
There were weaknesses too.
Wake allowed Purdue back into a game they had controlled and needed two overtimes to finish the job.
They are unbeaten.
They are dangerous.
They are not unbeatable.
Miami open as sizeable road favourites
Despite Wake moving to 2-0, Miami have opened as 21.5-point favourites for Friday night.
That is a big number for a road game against an unbeaten Power Four opponent.
It also says plenty about how quickly expectations around Miami have changed.
The Hurricanes have scored 122 points in two games and conceded only 13.
Darian Mensah has eight touchdown passes without an interception.
Malachi Toney already has 330 receiving yards.
The running game exploded against FAMU.
And the defence has still not allowed an offensive touchdown.
Wake’s performance at Purdue gives Miami plenty to study.
The betting line suggests the Hurricanes are still expected to take control.
The secondary gets a proper test
This is also where Miami’s depth in the secondary becomes more important.
With OJ Frederique Jr. and Ja’Boree Antoine unavailable, younger players are being asked to take on bigger roles.
That includes Bryce Fitzgerald and freshman safety J.J. Dunnigan, alongside Zechariah Poyser.
FAMU did not have the firepower to seriously test that group.
Wake Forest could.
That makes Lopez, Hernandez and Miami’s reshuffled secondary one of the more interesting matchups heading into Friday.
The Last Word from Across the Pond
Wake Forest gave Miami plenty to study on Saturday.
The Demon Deacons showed resilience by surviving Purdue in double overtime, while Lopez again demonstrated why he will be the biggest quarterback challenge Miami have faced so far.
There were weaknesses too.
Wake let a double-digit lead disappear and needed extra football to finish the job.
Miami will arrive rested, ranked No. 7 and favoured by more than three touchdowns.
But Friday has the ingredients of a proper ACC road test.
Two unbeaten teams.
A night game.
A confident quarterback.
After two comfortable Miami wins, this should tell us a little more about just how good the Canes really are.
