Thriller Night: Canes Stun Demon Deacs

Strangely, the Hurricanes are now 3-0 since '96 when giving up over 500 yards.

By JANIE CAMPBELL

Updated 7:02 AM EST, Sun, Nov 1, 2009

Print Email Share TWITTER FACEBOOK

Getty Images

Darkness fell across the land
The final quarter was at hand
Wake Forest pressed in search of blood
To terrorize #12's neighborhood

The foulest stench was in the air
The funk of poorest o-line play
And Demon Deacs under the moon
Were closing in to seal U doom

And though they fought to stay alive
An interception killed a drive
For Jacory, mere mortal, can't resist
The evil of the thriller, or the lure of the long bomb into coverage, but it all worked out in the end HOORAY!

Excuse us. It's Halloween, and tonight's game was a House of Horrors, location: Wake Forest.

There's no more sensible (or timely!) explanation for a game that saw Miami dig a 0-17 hole well into the 2nd quarter, then field a defense with 10 men, and then see tight end Jimmy Graham attempt a kick return (the kick had gone awry, but still).

And the final 4th quarter drive, part of a comeback set in motion by Sam Shields recovering a muffed Wake Forest punt that Jacory Harris said "was like God sent something from the heavens?" The world's most terrifying hall of mirrors, presenting the exact same incomplete downfield bomb once -- twice -- three times -- to all but kill the final drive, before Aldarius Johnson came up with one on fourth down with 1:16 left.

A strike 13-yard touchdown strike to Travis Benjamin put the 'Canes up by a point and the skin of their teeth, and a desperation 60-yard field goal from Wake went...somewhere. But certainly not between the uprights (poltergeist?), and that was that: Hurricanes, 28-27.

Randy Shannon had his share of chills on this All Hallow's Eve, and might just go undead all over his team in practice this week: the 'Canes gave up a school record number of first downs (33), handed 550 total yards of offense to a 4-4 unranked team, and got routinely exploited in the secondary. The defense was, in a word, scary; the offense, mummified.

But Jacory Harris came dressed as Jacory Harris, which means nerves of steel and a two-minute drive for the ages. And all's well that ends well, unless it ends with zombies -- and that's about the one horror Miami didn't have to overcome tonight.