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Miami found itself in an unexpected dogfight in the first half of Saturday’s game against Wake Forest at the Hard Rock Stadium.
The eighth-ranked Hurricanes had a 10-7 lead on the Demon Deacons after 1 quarter, but fireworks erupted midway through the second. Facing a second-and-16 from the Miami 18, Wake quarterback Hank Bachmeier was picked off by Miami’s Mishael Powell.
Powell returned the interception 76 yards for a touchdown.
Meesh said gimmie that
: ESPN#GoCanes pic.twitter.com/63VSghmiVu
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) November 23, 2024
On the ensuing kickoff, Wake’s Demond Claiborne tied the record for the longest play in program history with a 100-yard return.
Ties the longest play in program history
Keep on running, @ClaiborneDemond https://t.co/bRjmDebXhs pic.twitter.com/xugLBTDfU5
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) November 23, 2024
Miami (9-1) is still in a position where it controls its destiny in the ACC Championship hunt, but Saturday’s contest with Wake Forest is paramount.
If the Hurricanes win their final 2 regular-season games, they’ll make the league title game. Simple; win and in.
Should Miami lose, it gets more complicated. SMU clinches a spot in the ACC title game with a win over Virginia on Saturday. If Miami loses to Wake Forest, it needs SMU to lose its final 2 games. Clemson (7-1 in league play) has already wrapped up ACC play but Miami holds crucial tiebreakers over the Tigers. If all 3 teams finish 7-1 in league play, SMU and Miami advance.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
