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.
By the numbers: Mensah leads the Football Bowl Subdivision with an 89.9 completion percentage and 11 passing touchdowns. Over the final two quarters against Wake Forest, he completed 10 of 14 passes for 27 yards and a single score.
What to watch: Miami hosts Central Michigan next Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.