Wake Forest gets its biggest spotlight of the young season on Friday night, and the assignment is a brutal one: No. 5 Miami coming to Winston-Salem.
The Demon Deacons are riding the momentum of last week’s heart-stopping overtime win over Purdue, a game capped by quarterback Gio Lopez’s run into the end zone for the decisive two-point conversion. Lopez now steps into another major test, and this one comes against a ranked opponent for the first time since he threw for 208 yards, two interceptions and a touchdown while at North Carolina last season against the 16th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers.
The recent history between these teams tilts heavily toward Miami. When Wake Forest last went to Hard Rock Stadium in 2024, the Demon Deacons fell 42-14 after a second-half collapse in Miami Gardens. The loss still featured one bright spot for Wake Forest: then-running back Demond Claiborne, now with the Minnesota Vikings, turned in one of the best performances of his career.
Claiborne’s day was built on explosive runs and chunk gains, but the signature moment was his 100-yard kickoff return touchdown. On that play, Claiborne hit 22.6 miles per hour while flying past Hurricanes defenders.
Miami had plenty going on offensively, too, and it took over late. The Hurricanes outscored Wake Forest 22-0 in the fourth quarter and held the Demon Deacons scoreless in the second half.
Cam Ward led that Miami offense with 280 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The former Washington State quarterback, who played under current Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert in 2023 and 2024, helped push then-No. 8 Miami to a 10-1 record and finished that season as a Heisman finalist and the 2025 first-overall NFL Draft selection.
Wake Forest is also chasing history in this matchup. Jake Dickert and the Demon Deacons are looking for their first win over Miami since 1944, when Wake Forest beat the Hurricanes 27-0.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Just Landed In A Spot That Will Spark Debate
Two wins into the season, Wake Forest has already found itself in the middle of the early ACC conversation, and the first weekly conference power rankings from the Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI staff reflect that. The Deacons checked in at No. 8 in a field of 17 teams after opening 2-0, a start that has given the program a legitimate foothold as the league picture begins to take shape. Miami sits at No. 1, setting up a clear early bar for the teams trying to climb toward the top.
Wake Forests immediate test only sharpens the interest, because the Deacons are headed into a matchup with No. 5 Miami. The rankings also sketch the wider ACC landscape, with recent results helping separate the contenders from the rest of the pack, but Wake Forests placement is the one likely to draw the most debate among its own fans. A strong start has earned attention, yet the next few days will say plenty about whether the Deacons are being viewed as an up-and-comer or just the first team to enjoy a little early-season momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Women Keep Rolling As Perfect Start Gets Harder To Ignore
Wake Forests womens soccer team kept its spotless start intact with a 3-1 win over California, another tidy result for a group that has spent the opening stretch looking every bit like a top-three team. The Demon Deacons have earned that ranking the hard way, turning consistency into their calling card while adding one more conference-scale win to a season that already demands attention.
For Wake Forest, the bigger story now is less about whether this is a good start and more about how long it can keep going without the pressure changing the way opponents approach them. An undefeated record tends to change the conversation quickly, and each new win only makes the challenge more visible for a team that has yet to give anyone a reason to look elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Must Solve A Miami Passing Threat That Looks Different Now
Miami is getting ready for Wake Forest with a passing game that has become one of the more interesting parts of this matchup, and Darian Mensah is already talking like a quarterback who expects the Demon Deacons to make him earn every clean throw. Mensah pointed to the need for solid protection and the kind of mental preparation that keeps an offense from getting sped up when a defense starts changing looks.
For Wake Forest, the challenge is less about the name on the jersey and more about how to sort out a quarterback who has handled the season well and has been comfortable executing plays effectively. The Demon Deacons know they will need to be sharp early, because Miamis passing threat now comes with enough rhythm and confidence to punish mistakes if the coverage breaks down for even a moment. [Read more 🡒]