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Miami Survives Wake Forest as Injuries Become the Biggest Concern

 

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Miami Hurricanes left Winston-Salem with a 33-20 victory over Wake Forest on Friday night, improving to 3-0 on the season and 2-0 in ACC play.

But the victory came with a significant cost.

What initially looked like another dominant performance quickly became a much more complicated night for Miami, as several key players suffered injuries. With No. 5 Miami already entering the game without multiple defensive backs, the Hurricanes now face additional questions about their depth heading into the next stretch of the season.

Miami's Offense Comes Out Firing

For the first half, Miami looked every bit like one of the nation's top teams.

Quarterback Darian Mensah continued his remarkable start to the season, completing 30 of 34 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception. He also set an ACC record by completing his first 24 passes of the game.

The Hurricanes built a 31-7 lead midway through the third quarter, seemingly putting the game away.

Malachi Toney was once again a major factor, catching 12 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. His chemistry with Mensah has quickly become one of the defining elements of Miami's offense.

Mark Fletcher Jr. added 85 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Miami finished with 378 total yards while committing no turnovers.

Then the Injuries Started Piling Up

The biggest concern coming out of the game is the health of the roster.

Running back CharMar Brown suffered a knee injury after breaking off a 32-yard run in the second quarter. On Monday, head coach Mario Cristobal confirmed that Brown will miss the remainder of the season. Brown entered the game as Miami's second-leading rusher from the 2025 season and had already accumulated 97 rushing yards through the first three games of 2026.

Wide receiver Joshua Moore, who scored Miami's opening touchdown against Wake Forest, was also ruled out for the remainder of the season because of an upper-body injury. Moore had 107 receiving yards and two touchdowns through Miami's first three games.

Those two losses alone represent significant blows to Miami's offensive depth.

But they weren't the only concerns.

Star receiver Malachi Toney appeared to be limited after suffering an injury during the game. Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. also left the game in the fourth quarter, while defensive tackle Ahmad Moten briefly exited with what appeared to be a shoulder issue before returning. Cristobal indicated that he expects Toney, Fletcher and Moten to be okay, although further medical evaluations were still pending.

Linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. is also expected to miss several weeks with a lower-body injury.

The Secondary Was Already Thin

The Hurricanes entered Friday night without three important defensive backs: O.J. Frederique Jr., Xavier Lucas and Ja'Boree Antoine.

All three were listed as out on Miami's availability report before the game. Tight end Luka Gilbert was also already out for the season.

Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez took advantage of Miami's depleted secondary, throwing for 312 yards and three touchdowns.

The Demon Deacons scored 13 second-half points and moved the ball effectively through the air, turning what looked like a potential blowout into a competitive game late.

Miami ultimately made the plays it needed to close things out.

Ethan O'Connor Delivers the Dagger

With Wake Forest threatening late, safety Ethan O'Connor came up with perhaps the biggest defensive play of the night.

O'Connor intercepted Lopez with Wake Forest driving, ending the threat and allowing Miami to finish off the 33-20 victory.

The Hurricanes also recorded a safety late in the fourth quarter after a holding penalty in the Wake Forest end zone, giving Miami the final points of the evening.

After allowing Wake to make things interesting, Miami's defense produced four consecutive stops to close the game.

A Win — But Plenty to Clean Up

Miami deserves credit for finding a way to win on the road in conference play.

But the second half exposed some areas that will need attention.

The Hurricanes accumulated 303 yards in the first half but only 75 in the final two quarters. The offense punted four consecutive times after Toney's touchdown, while Wake Forest continued moving the football against Miami's defense.

Cristobal acknowledged afterward that Miami still has plenty of growing and learning to do.

The good news is that the Hurricanes are 3-0.

The concern is whether they can maintain that momentum while dealing with a rapidly growing injury list.

The Road Ahead

Miami now returns home to face Central Michigan on September 26 before the schedule becomes significantly more challenging.

The Hurricanes will eventually face Clemson on October 3, followed by a November matchup with Notre Dame that could have major implications nationally.

For now, though, Miami's focus is health.

Brown and Moore are officially done for the season. Several other key contributors are dealing with injuries, while the secondary was already operating without three important defensive backs.

Miami has championship aspirations, and those aspirations will depend not only on the continued development of Mensah and the explosive offense, but also on whether the Hurricanes can keep enough of their core roster healthy.

The Hurricanes got the win Friday night.

Now comes the bigger challenge: staying healthy while continuing to win.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written by: Daniel Torres