Storm Warning: Wake Forest vs. Miami — Our Staff Makes Their Picks

The Deacs are 2-0. Next up is either a historic upset or the first loss of the season. Our editorial staff makes their picks as the Deacs host No. 5 Miami

Sep 12, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Carlos Hernandez (8) is tackled by Purdue Boilermakers defensive back John Slaughter (13) during the second half at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are 2-0 after a huge win over the Akron Zips in Week One, followed by a double-overtime thriller last week at Purdue. This week, though, the Deacs face their biggest test yet when the No. 5 Miami Hurricanes blow into Winston-Salem on Friday night.

Gio Lopez won the ACC Quarterback of the Week after getting the win in West Lafayette. He'll need a career game to deal with the talent Miami will put out on the field tonight.

Our editorial staff has an opinion on how this game will go. Each week, our crew will make their predictions. Trust us, this will become an intense competition as the season continues. Our staff, once again, is unanimous in our picks. However, for the first time this season, all ten of us think Miami gets the win. It's just a matter of by how much. Trust us. We all would love to be wrong with this one, but it seems inevitable.

Our average predicted margin of victory for the Canes is 19.1 points. We are also predicting a total of 60.1 points in the game. That works out to an average prediction of Miami winning 40-21.

After Week Two, Brandon, one of our rookies, finds himself at the top of the standings. However, Seth and Justin also have closest prediction wins this season and trail him by just a few points. Brandon did win last week, with a prediction of Wake Forest 38 - Purdue 24. The actual score was 38-34.

Staff Leaderboard after Week Three:

Place	Name	Wins	Losses	Closest	Cumulative Differential
1	Brandon	2	0	1	22
2	Seth	2	0	1	29
3	Justin	2	0	1	36
4	Will	2	0	0	26
5	Barry	2	0	0	29
6	JD	2	0	0	33
7	Sean	2	0	0	43
8 (tie)	Alex	2	0	0	44
8 (tie)	Andrew	2	0	0	44
10	Keylor	2	0	0	46

Sep 12, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Kam Shanks (5) looks at a pass that's just out of reach during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Staff Predictions - Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. No. 5 Miami Hurricanes

Alex Gendron (2-0) - Miami 30-20
Andrew Bauhs (2-0) - Miami 42-20
Barry Lewis (2-0) - Miami 38-24
Brandon Oakes (2-0, one closest prediction) - Miami 44-17
JD Andress (2-0) - Miami 42-18
Justin Kontul (2-0, one closest prediction) - Miami 38-17
Keylor Piers (2-0) - Miami 31-14
Sean Kennedy (2-0) - Miami 41-24
Seth Dowdle (2-0, one closest prediction) - Miami 45-17
Will Kunisaki (2-0) - Miami 45-34

Do you agree with our picks? Let us know what you think the final score will be.

What's Next for the Demon Deacons?

The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on September 18. It will be played at Alegacy Financial Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC. You can watch it on ESPN. Will it be a historic upset for the ages? Or will Wake Forest suffer its first loss of the season?

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