No. 6 Miami Focused on Keeping Its Foot on the Gas After Second Half Lull At Wake Forest

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Miami Hurricanes saw clear issues in the second half in their 33-20 victory over Wake Forest.

The first half saw star quarterback Darian Mensah complete 20/20 passes, putting him on pace to break many FBS records. However, in the second half, Miami's offense struggled after scoring on the first drive.

It's all fixable, according to the star quarterback, who said things are correctable, even with one of the country's best offenses.

Sep 18, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Miami (FL) Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah (10) hands off to running back Javian Mallory (21) during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Very correctable," Mensah said. "I think that at the end of the day it's a mental thing more than anything to just get, or just be less physical than you were in the previous two quarters. So just I think that's on me as a leader too, just go out there and really emphasize to the guys that there's no letup, like we have to go out and execute every time we touch the ball. And so, yeah, it's on me to go and make sure the guys are mentally prepared to go out and physically dominate."

Mensah isn't the only one who feels that way. Elija Lofton is starting to find his offensive groove, making many great plays and catches as the Canes No. 1 tight end.

However, he also knows that there has to be more to the gas pedal in games that can go in any direction.

Sep 18, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Miami (FL) Hurricanes tight end Elija Lofton (9) runs into the end zone for a touchdown chased by Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive back Davaughn Patterson (5) during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We just got to play harder," Lofton said. "We got to just stay honest, be consistent, play at a level. Every game is keep playing at a high standard. Like, we got high standards. We got to continue to be playing at a high standard. We can't lower any lower than that.

"We got high standards for each position group, each unit, and as a team. So we got to just live by that high standard and continue to attack. No matter who we play, no matter what the score, we got to go out there and execute at a high level."

The Hurricanes will take and use that strategy against Central Michigan in the first Saturday game of the year for Miami.

Moreover, with the team's injuries, this is the perfect time for others to find their footing on the roster against the run-heavy MAC team. Miami looks to go 4-0 to start another season.

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