Duke Johnson scored the second of his 2 rushing touchdowns with 53 seconds remaining and the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes bested upset-minded Wake Forest 24-21 in Miami Gardens on Saturday. The Demon Deacons (4-4, 2-3 ACC) rushed out to a 14-3 lead in the second quarter on touchdowns from Josh Harris and Michael Campanaro and held a 14-10 lead at halftime, but couldn't slow the Hurricanes' rushing attack in the second half.
The two squads waged a defensive battle during the third quarter, as neither side could garner any points. Finally, the Hurricanes (7-0, 3-0 ACC) moved in front on a 4-yard Johnson touchdown run with 5:36 to play. Johnson was masterful all afternoon, gaining 168 yards on 30 carries to go along with his pair of touchdowns. Johnson answered any lingering questions about his health, using his stiff-arm all afternoon and leaving a pile of Deacons in his wake almost every play.
The Demon Deacons responded to Johnson's go-ahead carry with a 6-play, 75- yard scoring drive capped by a 44-yard touchdown reception by Dominique Gibson, giving the Deacs a 21-17 lead with less than 5 minutes remaining. The Deacons' upset bid then ended abruptly after Johnson's second touchdown, when Tanner Price was intercepted by Antonio Crawford.
Miami outgained the Deacs 391-361, gaining 200 yards on the ground. Price threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns on the day, marking the third straight Saturday of good play from the senior. Tyree Harris caught 6 balls for 95 yards, and Campanaro added another 88 in a losing effort.
Wake Forest next plays at Syracuse, while Miami travels to Tallahassee for a prime-time meeting with the No. 2 Florida State Seminoles. The Deacs now have 4 games remaining in which to gain bowl eligibility, with a visit from the Seminoles looming in 2 weeks.
