Mensah Sets ACC Completion Record in Miami Win — SkimNews
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- Darian Mensah completed his first 24 passes to set the ACC single-game record (breaking a mark of 18 shared by three players) and ran his streak across games to 35 straight completions, surpassing Mitch Trubisky's 2016 ACC multi-game record of 30 — two short of Dominique Davis's 2011 FBS mark of 26 in a single game.
- Miami's defense delivered four straight fourth-quarter stops to seal it after the offense produced four consecutive three-and-outs, including a safety on a holding penalty in the end zone, a fourth-down incompletion, and Ethan O'Connor's red-zone interception with 2:24 left.
- Mensah finished 30-for-34 for 220 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Joshua Moore (9 yards), Elija Lofton (21 yards), and Malachi Toney as Miami built a 31-7 lead midway through the third quarter.
- Wake Forest QB Gio Lopez threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns but couldn't overcome 13 penalties for 137 yards, including two that wiped out big fourth-quarter punt returns; coach Jake Dickert said Wake "could never quite get over the hump."
- Miami (3-0, 2-0 ACC) entered leading the nation in total offense (702.5 YPG) and ranked second in FBS scoring at 61.0 PPG, with coach Mario Cristobal crediting the defense for "bowing up and executing at a high level."
- Wake Forest entered with a 1-68 all-time record against AP top-10 teams, the lone win coming against No. 4 Tennessee in 1946.
- Injuries mounted for Miami: running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar Brown went down (Brown was carted to the tunnel with a right knee injury), while wide receiver Malachi Toney and defensive lineman Ahmad Moten Sr. also briefly exited.
Why it matters: Fifth-ranked Miami came in averaging 61 points per game but scored a season-low 33, saved by a defense that forced four fourth-quarter stops — a warning sign that the Hurricanes' ACC and title hopes may hinge on more than just Mensah's arm. Multiple injuries to skill players, including Brown (carted off) and Fletcher, raise depth concerns entering the heart of conference play for a team now 3-0 with a championship push ahead.
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