Wake Forest will have the state’s college football spotlight to itself tonight (Sept. 18), and will play a primetime game that should get plenty of national attention as well.
The Demon Deacons host the No. 5 Miami Hurricanes at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium in our lone North Carolina college football game today. The contest kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Both Wake Forest and Miami are off to 2-0 starts, and both feature starting quarterbacks who played for different ACC teams a year ago. This will be the conference opener for the Deacs, while the Hurricanes will be playing their second ACC contest after beating Stanford a few weeks ago.
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🏈 North Carolina College Football Game Today | Friday, Sept. 18
No. 5 Miami at Wake Forest – 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Records: Miami (2-0, 1-0 ACC) | Wake Forest (2-0, 0-0 ACC)
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Series: Miami leads all-time 9-3
Last meeting: Miami, 42-14 (2024)
No. 5 Miami at Wake Forest Game Center
Read more about the matchup, including latest lines, player availability, team statistics, series history, TV and radio information, and more.
👀 What to Know
1. Can Wake Forest challenge a Top-5 opponent?
The Demon Deacons have overachieved so far in the Jake Dickert era, winning nine games last year and the first two so far this season. This will be Dickert’s biggest test thus far in Winston-Salem, facing a Heisman hopeful in Darian Mensah and a national championship contender in the Hurricanes.
2. Can Gio Lopez and the Deacs challenge Miami’s secondary?
If there is any area Wake Forest could possibly exploit, it’s the passing game. Miami will be without three of its top five defensive backs, and Wake has been averaging more than 290 passing yards per game so far with Gio Lopez at the helm.
3. Two transfer quarterbacks, no interceptions
Gio Lopez has quickly established himself at Wake Forest after transferring from UNC in the off-season. He’s 37-of-59 passing for 575 yards, four touchdowns and, most importantly, no interceptions.
Meanwhile, Miami’s Darian Mensah – who led Duke to the ACC title in 2025 – has been a video game in his first two games with his new team. He’s completed 41-of-45 passes (!) for 653 yards, eight touchdowns and also no interceptions.
👉 Looking ahead: Wake Forest-Miami sets the table for a busy Saturday of action involving North Carolina college football teams. Charlotte visits App State as one of seven games involving in-state matchups. UNC looks to end a lengthy losing skid at Clemson. Conference action begins to heat up across the FCS and D2 ranks.
In all, the Saturday slate will feature 23 games involving North Carolina teams. Check out the full schedule for Week 3 and get your watch list set. Then follow the day from first kick to final whistle with our North Carolina College Football Scoreboard.
