No. 11 Miami pulls away late to beat Wake Forest 42-14 and move one win from the ACC title game

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Wake Forest figured it wouldn’t keep Miami’s offense quiet forever. To their chagrin, the Demon Deacons were right.

Cam Ward passed for 280 yards and threw two touchdowns to Jacolby George on another record-breaking day, Mishael Powell ran an interception back 76 yards for a touchdown and No. 11 Miami pulled away with 22 fourth-quarter points to beat Wake Forest 42-14 on Saturday.

The Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 8 College Football Playoff) can clinch a berth in the ACC title game with a win at Syracuse next weekend. No. 13 SMU clinched the other spot by routing Virginia 33-7 on Saturday.

“We still have nothing to lose,” Ward said. “At the end of the day, Miami was a mid team last year. We’re better than they were last year. We have nothing to lose. It’s good to control your destiny another week, but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t win.”

Ward completed 27 of 38 passes, plus ran for a score. He broke two more single-season Miami records, both of which had been held for 40 years by Bernie Kosar — most passing yards in a season and most completions in a season.

Miami wide receiver Jacolby George (3) celebrates with wide receiver Xavier Restrepo (7) after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against against Wake Forest, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Ward now has 3,774 yards on 268 completions this season. Kosar threw for 3,642 yards on 262 completions in 1984.

Demond Claiborne had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for Wake Forest (4-7, 2-5). Claiborne also rushed for 62 yards for the Demon Deacons, and starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier was 8 of 14 passing for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Wake was within 20-14 going into the fourth quarter. And then, it was all Miami.

“With Miami and their offense, it’s a matter of time,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. “I thought our defense played really, really well — but in the fourth quarter, when the dam broke, it broke. And that’s what good teams do.”

The game was offensively deceiving, given how it started. Miami went 84 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first possession, Ward going 6 for 6 on the drive and capping it with a 13-yard scoring throw to George. Wake Forest answered with a 75-yard drive, Bachmeier finding Micah Mays Jr. from 36 yards out to tie the game.

Miami wide receiver Jacolby George (3) runs for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against against Wake Forest, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

And neither offense found the end zone again until the fourth quarter. Wake Forest got 118 yards on 50 plays — 2.4 yards per play — after that seven-play, nearly 11-yard-per-play opening march.

“Story of the game was the defense, without a doubt,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “After that first series, the busted coverage, that’s what Miami Hurricane defense should look like.”

Powell’s interception return TD put Miami up 17-7 in the second quarter; the 10-point lead lasted 15 seconds, the time Claiborne needed to run the ensuing kickoff the length of the field for a touchdown and get Wake Forest within 17-14.

Ward rushed in from a yard out with 7:58 left and, after Wake Forest fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Jordan Lyle scored on an 18-yard run to make it 35-14. Lyle finished with a game-high 115 yards rushing and George scored again with 1:53 left.

The takeaway

Miami wide receiver Jacolby George (3) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against against Wake Forest, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons were roundly booed — and even called out by Ward on the field — when safety Evan Slocum went down and indicated he had a cramp on a Miami drive late in the first half. Ploy or not, the Hurricanes stalled from there and settled for a field goal. Slocum was on the field to start the second half.

Miami: The Hurricanes reached 10 wins for the 16th time in school history, all since 1983. It’s the first 10-win season for Miami since 2017 and makes Cristobal the seventh coach to have such a season for the Hurricanes. He did it twice with Oregon.

Remembering Bosseler

The Hurricanes wore “DB 40” decals on their helmets Saturday to honor All-American fullback and College Football Hall of Famer Don Bosseler, who died earlier this month. Bosseler, a star at Miami in the mid-1950s, was 88.

Poll implications

Miami quarterback Cam Ward (1) looks to pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Wake Forest, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami has been in the AP Top 25 every week this season and that won’t change. The CFP rankings likely will still list the Hurricanes as the ACC title favorite.

Up next

Wake Forest: Hosts Duke on Saturday.

Miami: Visits Syracuse on Saturday.