You guys, Darian Mensah just went absolutely OFF. The Miami quarterback didn’t just break one ACC record on Friday night, he smashed two of them, putting on a clinic as the No. 5 Hurricanes edged out Wake Forest 33-20 on the road. This dude came out firing, completing his first 24 passes against the Demon Deacons, which is just bonkers.
The Record Books Got a Fresh Coat of Paint
That perfect 24-for-24 start shattered the old single-game ACC record of 18 consecutive completions. Think about that, 18 was the mark set by Virginia’s Michael Rocco way back in 2012, and later matched by legends like Mitch Trubisky and Trevor Lawrence. Mensah didn’t just beat it, he blew it out of the water. But he wasn’t done there. Dating back to Miami’s Week 2 win over Florida A&M, Mensah racked up an incredible 35 straight completions. That destroyed the previous ACC multiple-game record of 30, which also belonged to Trubisky. Seriously, what an absolute baller. He even came within two passes of tying the FBS single-game record of 26 and fell just one short of the FBS multiple-game record of 36, both held by East Carolina’s Dominique Davis. Talk about a historic night, right?
Methodical Mayhem and Early Season Dominance
So, how’d he do it? In the first half, Wake Forest was sitting back in a soft zone, and Mensah just surgically carved them up. He kept picking apart their defense with underneath throws and smart check downs, keeping Miami ahead of the chains. This methodical approach led to three straight Hurricanes touchdown drives, all over 79 yards, to kick off the game. The very first series was a marathon, 14 plays for 92 yards, eating up more than half of the first quarter clock! And get this, his “perfect” start almost ended early with an incompletion, but a roughing the passer call on Wake Forest’s Gabe Kirschke kept the streak alive. Mensah came into this game already leading the nation in completion percentage at a ridiculous 91.1% on 41-of-45 passing for 653 yards, with eight touchdowns and zero interceptions. He finished against Wake Forest 30 of 34 (88%) for 220 yards, three TDs, and still no picks. The guy is just dialed in.
Adversity Strikes, But the ‘Canes Hold On
Now, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The Hurricanes hit some serious headwinds in the second half. Wake Forest started mixing up their defensive looks, and Miami’s offense stalled, leading to five straight three-and-outs. Oof. On top of that, the injury bug started to bite the ‘Canes. Star sophomore Malachi Toney, who was Mensah’s favorite target with over 100 receiving yards on 10 catches in the first half alone, played limited snaps in the second half due to an injury. Despite the late-game struggles and mounting injuries, Miami held on for the W, a testament to Mensah’s incredible start. What a night for Miami football!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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