Wake Forest Second Half Surge Falls Short Against Fifth-Ranked Miami
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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons showed a valiant fight in the second half against the number five-ranked Miami Hurricanes, but it was ultimately not enough. After trading touchdowns on the first two drives, Miami built a 24-7 halftime lead. The Deacs showed some great fight in the second half, but just could not fully dig themselves out of the hole.
Let's go through some of the highlights of this game that ultimately led to the final result.
Tale of Defensive Halves
The first half saw the Miami offense score three straight touchdowns and accumulate 303 yards of total offense. The second half saw the Demon Deacons tighten things up dramatically. After a touchdown to start the half, they forced four straight three-and-outs, then blocked a 54-yard field goal attempt.
So what was the difference between a Wake offense that gave up 303 yards in the first half and 75 yards in the second half? Apparently, it had nothing to do with play calling. Coach Dickert said after the game that finishing tackles was a huge point of emphasis going into the second half, and it was obviously successful.
Darian Mensah completed 24 straight passes to start this game and looked to be in full control. Then, a switch flipped, and the defense made him a little more uncomfortable. This is something positive that the Deacs need to carry forward as they continue to go about the season.
Costly Penalties
For a team to pull off a top-five upset, they have to play clean football to avoid giving away opportunities. The Deacs did anything but that against the Canes. Wake accumulated 13 penalties that gave up 137 yards. Some of these came at incredibly costly times as well. Two big punt returns by Carlos Hernandez that would have helped Wake draw even closer in the second half were negated due to holding penalties.
Personal fouls also played a big role in helping Miami advance drives in the first half. Overall, the Deacs beat themselves in several instances that allowed the Canes being able to hold an advantage despite being challenged.
Wake accumulated 246 yards of offense in the second half despite a stretch that bled into the second half of four straight three-and-outs. Gio Lopez threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, even though the Deacs only accumulated 22 total rushing yards. The offense is certainly there, but the Miami defensive line wreaked havoc too many times, and Wake needs to avoid beating themselves in critical moments to win big games going forward. They did not come away with the win, but Wake certainly showed some fight in this one. We'll see if they can carry it over going forward.
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Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.