Miami · ACCMiami’s line tests its playoff hopes
The Hurricanes have allowed one sack through three games, but Wake Forest film exposed communication, run-blocking and guard issues before Central Michigan and Clemson.
SEP 21, 2026
sack allowed through three games
of Mensah’s dropbacks kept clean
Miami’s unbeaten start
01 · The NewsMiami’s line tests its playoff hopes
Miami moved to 3-0 with a 33-20 win at Wake Forest on Friday, Sept. 18, but film from the game exposed communication breakdowns, inconsistent run blocking and troubling work at guard along the rebuilt offensive line.
The one-sack figure through three games tells only part of the story. Miami has allowed one sack and kept Darian Mensah clean on 83.3% of his dropbacks, strong pass-protection numbers that sit alongside interior problems capable of disrupting the run game and the pocket against better defensive fronts.
Miami entered the season with expectations reflected in its No. 6 spot in the preseason AP Top 25 and No. 5 ranking in the AFCA Coaches Poll. It opened 2026 with wins over Stanford and Florida A&M before the Wake Forest trip, where the offense still won by 13 points despite the problems up front.
The Wake Forest film does not identify which linemen were responsible for the communication failures or troubling guard reps. Miami also has not said whether it will change its lineup or communication before Central Michigan visits on Saturday, Sept. 26.
That game comes one week before Miami travels to Clemson on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Central Michigan matchup gives the rebuilt group one more opponent before the schedule presents the kind of defensive front that could turn missed calls and weak interior blocks into lost drives.
Mensah has been protected well enough to start the season 3-0. Miami now has to make sure the line’s one-sack success is not hiding the problems that could put that start at risk.
02 · The StakesThe line is the playoff test
Those issues could decide whether Miami’s unbeaten start becomes a playoff run or stalls when the schedule gets tougher. Josh Pate’s preseason bracket placed Miami in the playoff field as the No. 11 team, and the line’s performance now directly tests that projection.
“Miami now has to make sure the line’s one-sack success is not hiding the problems that could put that start at risk.”
From the story03 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Can Miami clean up its interior blocking?
Watch the run game and the pocket against Central Michigan for signs that the guard issues and inconsistent run blocking persist.
Does the communication hold?
The tell is whether missed calls or protection breakdowns return before Miami faces Clemson’s defensive front.