No. 5 Miami heads into Friday night with plenty of momentum, but the Hurricanes are about to find out a lot more about themselves in Winston-Salem.
After a clean start to the season with a road win at Stanford and a lopsided home victory over Florida A&M, Miami (2-0, 1-0 ACC) returns to the road to face Wake Forest (2-0) at 7:30 p.m. in what looks like the toughest early challenge on the schedule.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal didn’t waste words on what stands out about the Demon Deacons.
“Great team, great players, great coaches,” Cristobal said. “(They are) playing at a really high level since last season.
And (they are) a very mature team - older team, experienced team. Seventeen of 22 starters are upperclassmen … (The) best way to describe them: They’re fast, they’re physical, play with a high motor and they play with an edge.
Very, very physical.”
Wake Forest has backed that up through two games. The Demon Deacons opened with a comfortable win over Akron, then went on the road and pulled out a double-overtime victory at Purdue. They’ve scored 38 points in both games.
A big reason is quarterback Gio Lopez, who has quickly settled in after reuniting with offensive coordinator Rob Ezell, his coordinator from South Alabama. Lopez has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 575 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. He’s also added 97 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.
“The quarterback makes a lot happen,” UM defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said. “Going all the way back, we’ve been watching the South Alabama stuff.
We’re watching the North Carolina stuff, and obviously, we’re watching the first two games this year. He extends plays.
He makes guys miss. He makes a lot of things happen in the run game.
He gets the ball out in the perimeter fast. You always got to have plus-one in the box to kind of take him away.
But I think he’s a very dynamic player and I think he makes them very good on offense.”
Wake Forest also brings a dangerous target on the outside in senior receiver Carlos Hernandez, who is ninth in the nation with 253 receiving yards. Pro Football Focus has him at an 86.1 receiving grade, good for 10th nationally among receivers with at least 10 targets. He also came through in a big spot last week, converting a fourth-and-15 that kept the drive - and the Demon Deacons - alive against Purdue.
“It’s just a small indication of some of the explosive plays that he’s had so far this season,” Cristobal said.
Miami’s offense has been explosive in its own right. Through two games, the Hurricanes rank second nationally in points per game at 61 and first in yards per game at 702.5.
Still, the matchup comes with a complication for Miami’s defense. The Hurricanes will be short-handed in the secondary, with starting outside cornerbacks OJ Frederique Jr. and Xavier Lucas both out because of undisclosed injuries. Bryce Fitzgerald moved outside to cornerback and lined up with Damari Brown last week, while freshman safety JJ Dunnigan made his first career start in Fitzgerald’s old spot.
That shorthanded group will be tested by Lopez and Hernandez, but Miami is also seeing warning signs on the other side of the ball. Wake Forest has been shaky defensively, ranking 103rd nationally after two games and allowing 380 yards per game. The Demon Deacons gave up 16 points to Akron and 36 to Purdue.
Even with Miami’s numbers and Wake Forest’s defensive issues, the Hurricanes are approaching this one like a real test.
“I think they’re physical, played hard as ever, and I think that their D-line is really, really legit,” Miami quarterback Darian Mensah said. “And so coaches hit on this week.
We’ve got to be legit with our projections. And their (defensive backs) are also very solid, too.
So definitely going to be a test for us, and we’ve got to be mentally prepared.”
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Miami Heads Into Wake Forest With A Depth Problem Fans Feared
Miamis first ACC availability report for the Wake Forest game arrived with a familiar kind of concern for Mario Cristobals defense, as four Hurricanes were listed out because of injuries. Cornerbacks OJ Frederique Jr. and Xavier Lucas, defensive back JaBoree Antoine and tight end Luka Gilbert all landed on the report, leaving Miami to sort through its depth chart with a road trip looming and a few key spots suddenly thinner than expected.
Cristobal offered injury details and recovery timelines for the injured players, but the bigger immediate question is how Miami adjusts on the back end if it has to go without multiple defensive backs. Wake Forest, meanwhile, appears set to go with Gio Lopez, who is listed as probable and expected to start, so the Hurricanes are heading into the matchup knowing the opposing offense should have its quarterback situation settled while theirs carries a little more uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Herbstreit Said What Miami Fans Were Already Thinking
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Herbstreit had already made his feelings known about Miamis Adidas uniforms, and his latest reaction only added to the sense that the apparel change was overdue. With his platform on ESPN and College GameDay, his voice carries plenty of weight, and the enthusiasm around the new Nike era is now part of the broader buzz surrounding Miami as it keeps trying to sharpen its brand on and off the field. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Fans Just Got An Early Look At A Challenging 2027 ACC Slate
The Atlantic Coast Conference has already given Miami fans a glimpse at what the 2027 football season could look like, and the early returns suggest a demanding league slate. The Hurricanes schedule includes matchups with Cal, Louisville, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, a group that should keep the conversation around the program centered on depth, travel and how well Mario Cristobals team handles the grind of ACC play.
One date stands out right away: Wake Forest is set for Friday, Sept. 18, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, giving Miami another primetime spot on a night stage. Cristobal has already talked about the teams preparation and practice schedule, a reminder that even with the calendar still well ahead, the Hurricanes are thinking about how to manage the work required for a schedule that does not look forgiving from the start. [Read more 🡒]