Miami’s first two games have gone about as well as anyone could realistically have asked.
Stanford was dispatched 45-6. Florida A&M was flattened 77-7. Darian Mensah has looked completely at home, Malachi Toney has started the season like someone playing a different sport to everyone else, and the defence still hasn’t conceded an offensive touchdown.
Now things get a bit more interesting.
Wake Forest is also 2-0, fresh from a 38-36 double-overtime win at Purdue, and this is Miami’s first trip to Winston-Salem since 2009. The Demon Deacons are not in the same talent bracket as Miami, but they are experienced, awkward and good enough to punish a team that turns up expecting another comfortable night.
This feels like the first game where we might learn something meaningful about the 2026 Hurricanes.
The Matchup
Wake Forest comes into this one unbeaten after beating Akron 38-16 and Purdue 38-36 in double overtime. Through two games, quarterback Gio Lopez has thrown for 575 yards, running back Ty Clark III has 141 rushing yards and Carlos Hernandez leads the receiving corps with 253 yards.
That is a much more credible offensive test than anything Miami saw against FAMU.
Wake also enters year two under Jake Dickert after going 9-4 last season, the most successful first season by a head coach in programme history. They return several experienced pieces too, including defensive end Langston Hardy, receiver Carlos Hernandez and safety Davaughn Patterson.
Miami, meanwhile, arrives ranked No. 5 and averaging 61 points per game through its first two contests.
The gap in overall talent is still obvious. The difference this week is that Wake Forest has enough quality to make Miami work for it.
Game Details
- Fixture: Miami Hurricanes at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
- Date: Friday 18 September 2026
- Venue: Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, Winston-Salem
- Kickoff: 7:30pm ET / 12:30am BST Saturday
- TV: ESPN / DAZN
- Miami record: 2-0
- Wake Forest record: 2-0
Wake is also making this its Wear Black / UNRIVALED Weekend, so expect a much louder and more hostile environment than Maetiami faced at Stanford.
Still a late one for us in the UK. But after 2am Stanford and 1am FAMU, half past midnight almost feels civilised.
Almost.
Storylines to Watch
How Does Miami Respond to an Opponent That Can Punch Back?
This is the biggest thing for me.
Stanford never really threatened Miami after the opening stages and FAMU was over by half-time. Wake Forest is different.
They have already shown they can stay in a game when it gets uncomfortable. Going on the road to Purdue and winning in double overtime tells you something about their resilience.
Miami will almost certainly have stretches where this is not easy. That is a good thing.
We need to see how the Canes respond when an opponent scores a touchdown, when the crowd gets into it and when a drive stalls.
The best teams don’t just dominate. They handle adversity properly.
Gio Lopez Is the First Quarterback Who Can Really Test Miami
Lopez is the player I’m most interested in on Wake’s side.
He is mobile, experienced and capable of extending plays when the pocket breaks down. Wake’s offence has also shown a willingness to be creative, using movement, misdirection and the odd trick look.
That matters because Miami’s secondary is already dealing with injuries.
O.J. Frederique remains out, Xavier Lucas is expected to miss around a month, Ja’Boree Antoine is unavailable and Bryce Fitzgerald has been moved to corner, with freshman J.J. Dunnigan stepping into a starting safety role.
That is probably the clearest area Wake can attack.
The front seven should still have the advantage, but Lopez’s mobility and Wake’s willingness to move the pocket could create problems if Miami gets over-aggressive.
Darian Mensah Has Been Almost Flawless
There really isn’t much more Mensah could have done through two games.
He threw for 401 yards and five touchdowns at Stanford, then followed it with 252 yards and three touchdowns against FAMU while completing 14 of 15 passes.
So far, he looks completely comfortable running Shannon Dawson’s offence.
Wake’s defence should present a better test than FAMU did, and this is where I want to see whether Mensah can maintain that efficiency when the windows get tighter.
He doesn’t need another five-touchdown night. What Miami needs is good decision-making, no cheap turnovers and the ability to keep the offence moving when Wake gets pressure.
If he does that, I’d expect Miami’s receivers to create enough separation eventually.
Can the Running Game Back Up the FAMU Performance?
This is another big one.
After a fairly quiet night on the ground against Stanford, Miami ran for 430 yards against FAMU.
Mark Fletcher Jr. looked much more like himself and Javian Mallory was outstanding when his opportunity came.
Obviously, Wake Forest is a much better defensive team than FAMU. But this feels like a good test of whether Miami’s offensive line has genuinely taken a step forward or simply enjoyed a favourable matchup last week.
If Miami can establish the run early, everything gets easier. Play-action opens up. Toney gets more space. And Wake can’t simply sit in lighter boxes waiting for Mensah.
Key Players to Watch
Miami
Darian Mensah, QB: The first two games have been almost perfect. This is his first real chance to show he can maintain that level in a more competitive road environment.
Malachi Toney, WR: After 330 receiving yards and four touchdowns through two games, he is already the player every defence is trying to stop. Wake’s challenge is doing it without opening up everything else.
Mark Fletcher Jr., RB: The run game looked much better against FAMU. I want to see whether that carries into a proper ACC matchup.
J.J. Dunnigan, S: With Miami’s secondary reshuffled by injury, the freshman gets another important opportunity against a quarterback who can extend plays.
Wake Forest
Gio Lopez, QB: This is the obvious one. He can throw, he can move and he gives Wake a chance to keep drives alive when things break down.
Carlos Hernandez, WR: He already has 253 receiving yards through two games and will be a proper test for Miami’s depleted cornerback group.
Langston Hardy, DE: An experienced edge player who had 17 tackles for loss last season. If Wake is going to disrupt Miami’s rhythm, he’ll probably need to be involved.
Davaughn Patterson, S: One of Wake’s most experienced defenders and a player who can make things uncomfortable over the middle.
What the Numbers Say
The numbers favour Miami, but not in the ridiculous way they did last week.
Miami ranks fourth overall in SP+, with a top-10 offence and top-five defence. Wake sits 62nd overall, with its defence graded better than its offence.
Miami has also been outstanding on third down so far, converting around 72 per cent of its opportunities, compared with Wake at roughly 46 per cent.
That could be crucial.
Wake needs to keep Miami off the field. If the Canes start extending drives and forcing the Demon Deacons to defend eight, nine or ten-play possessions, the talent gap will eventually tell.
The one slightly odd stat is turnover margin.
Miami is still sitting at minus-two despite winning its first two games by a combined 109 points. At some point, Miami needs to start creating takeaways.
This would be a good week to begin.
Keys to Victory for Miami
The first key is contain Lopez.
Don’t let him turn broken plays into 20-yard gains. Keep the edge disciplined and make him win from the pocket.
The second is protect the secondary.
With Frederique, Lucas and Antoine unavailable, Miami’s front seven needs to make life easier for the reshuffled defensive backfield.
The third is stay patient on offence.
Wake is good enough to make Miami punt a few times. That isn’t a crisis. Don’t start forcing throws because the first two games made scoring touchdowns look ridiculously easy.
And finally, make the talent gap tell over four quarters.
Wake can absolutely make this uncomfortable for a while. Miami should still be stronger, deeper and more explosive.
Use it.
Prediction
Miami 45, Wake Forest 17
My original prediction for this game before the season was 31-14 Miami.
I’ve changed it.
After watching the first two weeks, I’m more confident in this offence than I was going into the season. Darian Mensah has looked immediately comfortable, Malachi Toney has started at a ridiculous level and Miami has shown it can score in different ways rather than relying on one or two players.
Wake Forest is still a proper step up from FAMU and I expect them to test Miami far more than either of the first two opponents did. Gio Lopez can create problems, especially against a secondary dealing with injuries, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this stays competitive for a while.
But I think Miami’s depth starts to tell as the game goes on.
The Canes should be able to move the ball consistently, the running game looks much healthier after last week and the defence has still yet to concede an offensive touchdown this season.
So I’m moving from my preseason 31-14 prediction to:
Miami 45, Wake Forest 17.
The Last Word from Across the Pond
The first two weeks have been fun.
Very fun.
Miami has scored 122 points and conceded 13.
But this is the first game where I’m expecting to sit there at half past one in the morning and actually feel slightly nervous.
That is probably a good thing.
Wake Forest is not a playoff contender, but they are good enough to punish sloppy football.
If Miami is as good as we think it is, this is the kind of road game it needs to handle professionally.
Win the line of scrimmage. Keep Lopez contained. Protect the football. And let the talent difference show as the night goes on.
I don’t need another 77 points.
Although I’m not going to complain if we get them.
Prediction: Miami 45, Wake Forest 17.
3-0 would do very nicely.
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