Darian Mensah just went full-on legend mode, completing an absolutely absurd 35 consecutive passes dating back to last week, setting new Miami and ACC records along the way. Yeah, you read that right. The Hurricanes quarterback was on a different planet, finishing Friday’s 33-20 win over Wake Forest with 30 completions on 34 attempts for 220 yards, tossing three touchdowns, and still rocking zero interceptions on the season. This dude’s Heisman hype is already through the roof, and it’s only mid-September.
Mensah And Toney Are Pure Magic
Mensah walked into this game with a ridiculous 91.1 percent completion rate through his first two matchups, and he just kept that heater going, completing his first 24 passes against Wake Forest. He ultimately threw four incompletions, which, get this, matched his total from his previous two games *combined*. The guy is still completing close to 90 percent of his attempts overall this season, going 71-of-79. His season total for touchdowns is up to 11, without a single pick.
And who’s benefiting the most from Mensah’s wizardry? Star wideout Malachi Toney. Toney was a beast, snagging 12 receptions for 114 yards, including a crucial third-quarter touchdown. Elija Lofton and Joshua Moore also got in on the action, hauling in touchdown passes from Mensah. Honestly, it looked like Miami was cruising to an easy win, flexing all that offensive muscle.
But Seriously, What Was That Second Half?
Here’s the rub though, and it’s a big one: Miami was favored by 20.5 points, and Wake Forest gave them a much tougher test than anyone expected. The Hurricanes had a comfortable 31-7 lead midway through the third quarter, and then they just… stalled. Wake Forest scored back-to-back touchdowns, cutting the deficit to 11. Miami’s offense gained a paltry 77 yards and only five first downs in the entire second half. We’re talking three three-and-outs and a blocked 54-yard field goal attempt during a four-possession stretch. Yikes.
Wake Forest even forced a three-and-out, then drove 64 yards deep into Miami territory before the Hurricanes defense finally got a critical stop on a fourth-and-5 incompletion with less than nine minutes left. It took an interception from Ethan O’Connor with just over two minutes remaining to finally put the game away. This “second-half bumpiness” took some serious shine off what looked like another dominant performance from Mensah and Toney. It’s a huge concern, man. The Hurricanes needed their dynamic duo to play near-perfect football because the team itself struggled to put Wake Forest away.
Next up, the Hurricanes head home to host Central Michigan before resuming ACC play against Clemson on October 3. Mensah and Toney might be close to unstoppable, but if Miami wants to reach its ceiling this season, they can’t afford these kinds of scares. Let’s see if they tighten things up before Notre Dame comes calling on November 7.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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