Miami looked like one of the best teams in the country for roughly two and a half quarters. The Hurricanes marched 94 yards on their opening possession, built a 24–7 halftime lead and stretched it to 31–7 early in the third quarter.
Then they took their foot off the damn gas.
Wake Forest scored 13 unanswered points and made a game out of something that should have been over. Against Wake Forest, Miami could survive that loss of focus. Against a legitimate championship contender, it could get them beaten.
Darian Mensah was outstanding again, completing 30 of 34 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns without turning the football over. Malachi Toney caught 12 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown, continuing to show why he belongs in the Heisman conversation.
The final score was 33–20, but Miami was more dominant than that score suggests—and also more vulnerable. The Hurricanes have championship-level talent. Now they must develop a championship-level killer instinct and finish teams when they have them beaten.
