What happened: The Hurricanes defeated the Demon Deacons 33-20 on Friday after surviving a late momentum shift. Quarterback Darian Mensah opened the game with an Atlantic Coast Conference-record 24 consecutive completions before the unit stagnated. Wake Forest capitalized on the drought by scoring two unanswered touchdowns.

Why it matters: The uneven performance provides a crucial test for Mensah, who had spent the late stages of blowout wins over Stanford and Florida A&M on the sidelines. Miami faces seven conference opponents over its next eight games as the program pursues a league title. Sustaining offensive production will be essential ahead of a looming primetime showdown against Notre Dame.

What to watch: Miami hosts Central Michigan next Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.