Darian Mensah didn’t just lead Miami to a win at Wake Forest on Friday night. He put his name all over the record book while doing it.
The No. 5 Hurricanes left Winston-Salem with a 33-20 road victory, and Mensah was the driving force from the opening snap. He finished 30 of 34 for 220 yards and three touchdowns, giving Miami (3-0, 2-0 ACC) a clean offensive edge before the defense slammed the door on Wake Forest’s late push.
The freshman’s precision was almost unreal. Mensah hit his first 24 passes before his first incompletion arrived with 3:18 left in the third quarter.
That run was the second-most consecutive completions in an FBS game, trailing only East Carolina’s Dominique Davis, who had 26 straight in 2011. Across multiple games, Mensah has now stacked up 35 consecutive completions, which is also second only to Davis’ 36.
The records kept falling from there. Mensah broke Miami’s mark for consecutive completions in a game, surpassing the 24 set by Carson Beck last season, and he also topped Beck’s Hurricanes record for consecutive completions in a single game, which had stood at 15. On top of that, he set the ACC record for consecutive completions to start a game at 19 and the conference mark for consecutive completions over multiple games at 30.
Mario Cristobal picked up his 100th career win as Miami kept control for most of the night.
Wake Forest (2-1, 0-1 ACC) made things interesting late. Down 31-7, the Demon Deacons got a 23-yard touchdown pass from Gio Lopez to Jack Foley, then struck again after forcing a punt when Lopez found Carlos Hernandez in the corner of the end zone for 17 yards. Suddenly, it was 31-20.
Lopez finished 29 of 46 for 312 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, but Miami’s pass rush and late-game defense answered every challenge. While Lopez was under pressure in his own end zone, Wake Forest tackle Tolu Olajide was flagged for holding in the end zone, giving Miami a safety.
The Deacons then drove into the red zone on their next possession, only to be stopped on downs. They reached Hurricanes territory again later, but Ethan O’Connor intercepted Lopez at the Miami 4-yard line with 2:24 left.
Miami got production in the passing game from Malachi Toney, who caught 12 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. Ten of those catches went for 111 yards in the first half alone. Mark Fletcher Jr. added 85 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
Wake Forest’s receiving numbers were strong too, with Foley finishing with six catches for 118 yards and Hernandez posting 10 receptions for 69 yards.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Got A Storybook Hero In A Late Home Thriller
Spry Stadium had the feel of a place waiting for a moment, and Wake Forest got one late in the night against Virginia. Tate Lorenz delivered it with a game-winning penalty kick in the 90th minute, finishing off a 3-2 victory that had the home crowd on edge before finally turning into celebration. The Demon Deacons kept pushing through a tense, back-and-forth match, and the payoff came in the closing seconds when the pressure was at its highest.
Wake Forest students reacted like they had been holding their breath all match, then let it out at once when the kick found its mark. Wins like this tend to linger because they are equal parts relief and reward, and this one had both, with Lorenz providing the kind of finish that turns a regular conference night into something memorable. The result also gives the Deacons a lift in a game that asked plenty of them before it finally gave them their moment. [Read more 🡒]