Miami Hurricanes Thrive With 33-20 Win Over Wake Forest

I know a lot of Canes fans are upset with the outcome Friday night in Winston-Salem.

After a dominating first half, that looked like it was going to turn into a similar outcome as the first two game, the Canes ran into some muddy waters in the second half.

The end result was a 33-20 conference win over Wake Forest, and a 3-0 start to the season.

And I am here to tell you Canes fans. Exhale.

First, this the type game that in the past, we fumbled away. A game in which a few unfortunate circumstances turned into an avalanche that only was realized after a disappointing loss.

That is not what happened on Friday night.

The offense came out and was so dominating, that quarterback Darian Mensah was 25 for his first 25, leading to a 24-7 halftime lead.

Then, Miami experienced something many championship level teams experience. An opposing quarterback who started making big plays, along with receivers who hauled in some tough catches.

A plethora of significant injuries, that depleted depth at wide receiver, running back, and defensive line. It was the first time this year adversity was present, and from my view, they handled it beautifully.

Right about the time panic kicked in within the fan base, watching what had been an unstoppable offense suddenly become pedestrian, the defense decided it was their time to shine.

Suddenly a defensive line that struggled to get pressure the first two and a half game, was in the backfield on almost every play.

With Wake Forest threatening on seemingly every drive, the Canes defense continually answered the call, right up until Ethan O’Connor sealed the game with an interception on the Demon Deacons final drive.

So while some will look at this game and say, the Canes survived. I see it as the team thriving.

And no, I am not blind to some of the real issues that showed up in this game.

The offensive line has a lot of work to do to get anywhere near championship level. Even in the first half, the offensive efficiency was more the product of Mensah standing in the face of pressure, and delivering perfect pass after perfect pass.

The run blocking has been nowhere near where it needs to be. The interior of the line is consistently getting beat. That is an issue.

The injuries are mounting. This is the thing I am most worried about. Down to starting cornerbacks, with no return in sight for either, is a red flag.

Malachi Toney appeared to be nothing more than a decoy in the second half after tweaking something at the end of the first half.

Marty Brown went down with what looks like could be a long-term injury.

Mark Fletcher went to the locker room late in the game with an upper body injury.

THIS is something that could potentially derail a championship season.

The good news is the Canes are now 3-0, 2-0 in ACC play, with two of their four road games in the conference now behind them. They also have Central Michigan coming to town next week, which should provide some time for the injured players to heal up.

It was never going to be as easy as the off-season hype made it seem it would be.

The season is a grind, and with 25% of their season behind them, the Canes are still perfectly positioned to reach all their goals and make a title run.