Important Notes: No. 5 UM Vs. Wake Forest Preview, TV Info, Injury Report, and More

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The No. 5 Miami Hurricanes are set for an Atlantic Coast Conference nightly matchup, this time against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium; here is all the information needed to know ahead of kickoff.

How to Watch and Time

Television Channel: ESPN

Kickoff Time: 7:30 p.m. E.T.

Betting Odds (Hard Rock Bet)

The Hurricanes are initially -1400 favorites to win the game, with Wake Forest’s +700 odds to pull off an upset. The spread is set at 20.5 and the total over/under at 55.5.

Injury Report

UM:

The Hurricanes ruled out the following players in the initial injury report:

– Junior CB Romanas “OJ” Frederique Jr. (left shoulder)

– Junior CB Xavier Lucas (undisclosed)

– Sophomore CB Ja’Boree Antoine (undisclosed)

– Sophomore TE Luke Gilbert (undisclosed; out for season)

No new players currently added.

Wake Forest:

After initially being listed as doubtful, redshirt sophomore and wide receiver Ny Carr is officially out. The former four-star recruit spent the last couple of years with the Coral Gables program. Carr has yet to make his Wake Forest debut.

Redshirt junior and quarterback Gio Lopez is listed as probable; likely to play. He’s completed 37 of 59 passes (62.7 percent) and thrown for 575 yards and four touchdowns thus far this season.

Game Notes

After a dominant 2-0 start (ACC 1-0), the Hurricanes could face their first big test of the season. Wake Forest is coming off a 38-36 win over Purdue in double overtime. Lopez ran nearly as much as he threw the football. He rushed 14 times for 58 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Hurricanes defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman dealt with a handful of dual-threat quarterbacks, including Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss in last year’s College Football Playoffs. Given the collective injuries in the secondary, he will need to move several pieces.

Sophomore Bryce Fitzgerald and junior Omar Thornton will likely see snaps at both safety and corner/nickelback.

Wake Forest currently has five sacks on the season, tied for fourth-most among ACC programs. The Hurricanes’ offensive line has progressed early in this season, but this matchup could be decided on the trenches.

The starting lineup in the last two games:

– Left tackle Samson Okunlola

– Left guard Seuseu “SJ” Alofaituli

– Center Ryan Rodriguez

– Right guard Max Buchanan

– Right tackle Matthew McCoy

Freshmen Jackson Cantwell and Ben Congdon have both served as reserves at the guard slots.

The Hurricanes currently have the second-highest scoring offense in the Football Bowl Subdivision – averaging 61 points in the first two games, plus a win margin of 54.5 points. This game is less likely to be a blowout, but quarterback Darian Mensah is capable of lighting up scoreboards. He hasn’t rushed much this season thus far, but extending plays with his legs should be expected more on Friday night.

Anthony Aguirre covers the Miami Hurricanes and Miami Heat for Roundtable Sports. Contact info for tips/info: alexagmu@gmail.com & 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports

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