Miami’s offense has already found a rhythm through two weeks, and Darian Mensah is at the center of it.
Now the Hurricanes head into a matchup with Wake Forest, and Mensah gets another chance to build on what he showed against the Demon Deacons a year ago. Last season, he beat Wake Forest while at Duke, finishing with 258 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also leaned on his legs and on Cooper Barkate, who was his steadiest target in that game.
Barkate caught eight passes for 83 yards in that 49-point outing, even though he didn’t find the end zone. With Miami’s attack spreading the ball around more, this feels like the kind of game where Barkate could finally break through after being quieter over the last two weeks. Malachi Toney has been the headline grabber, but Mensah has made it clear the rest of the offense is starting to come along too.
That’s part of what makes Miami so dangerous right now. Mensah isn’t forcing the ball to one receiver. He’s working through the offense the way it’s drawn up, and if Toney happens to be open, that’s where the ball goes.
“Yeah, I just, to be honest, my coach calls the play, and I try to go out and execute it as best as possible," Mensah said. "We're an up-progression-based offense, and I would just go to where the defense is telling me to go. So it doesn't really matter.
"Obviously, Malachi Toney runs great routes and he's open a lot, so he gets the ball. But it's not like he's the first read on this play, but no, I'm just going out there and trying to execute the play as best as I can."
Mensah also knows Wake Forest won’t make this easy. He pointed to the Demon Deacons’ physicality, their defensive line and their secondary when talking about the challenge ahead.
"I think they're physical, play the hardest, hardest ever, and I think that their D-line is, you know, really, really legit," Mensah said about Wake Forest. "And so Coach said on this week, we've got to be legit with our protections, and their DBs are also very solid too. So definitely going to be a test for us, and we've got to be mentally prepared."
Through two weeks, Mensah’s numbers have been as sharp as anyone’s: he has missed only four passes and thrown eight touchdowns. If he keeps that pace, Miami will keep looking every bit like one of the best teams in the country, and Mensah will keep looking like one of its biggest stars.
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 Gets A Massive Friday Night Test Against Miami
Wake Forest heads into Friday night with a real measuring-stick opportunity after grinding out an overtime win against Purdue and now welcoming No. 5 Miami to Winston-Salem. Jake Dickerts team has some momentum, but the challenge changes fast against a Hurricanes group that brings national-title level expectations and an offense built around transfer quarterback Cam Ward. For the Demon Deacons, this is the kind of stage that can tell you a lot about where a program really stands in early season play.
Gio Lopez is set for his first ranked test since last season, and hell need Wake Forest to be sharper against a Miami team that handled the Deacons decisively a year ago. There is also the longer history hanging over the matchup, since Wake Forest has not beaten Miami since 1944. Between the ranking, the recent loss in the series and the chance to prove the Purdue win was more than a one-off, this one carries a little more weight than a typical Friday night game. [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 🡒]