Looking to finish undefeated in non-conference play, the No. 8 Miami Hurricanes traveled to Tampa to take on the University of South Florida on Saturday. Despite a feisty performance from their cross-state opponent, the ‘Canes pulled off yet another dominant victory, beating the Bulls 50-15.
Despite the lopsided final score, USF’s unique style of play gave the Hurricanes headaches throughout a highly-contested first half. The Bulls averaged the most offensive plays per game in college football last season, and that high-tempo style of offense proved troublesome for Miami’s defense in the early going. In fact, the ’Canes trailed for the first time all season following a first-quarter USF touchdown.
“We don’t play that offense all year,” head coach Mario Cristobal said. “They go at a scorching pace.”
“They go tempo, and that’s a hard thing to stop,” linebacker Francisco Mauigoa said.
In addition to the Bulls’ rapid tempo, the Hurricanes had to face quarterback Byrum Brown, one of the more dynamic dual-threat players in the sport. He came into the matchup with over 250 rushing yards to go along with 448 passing yards.
“He becomes dangerous when he gets out of the pocket,” Mauigoa said. “One of the challenges was being able to keep him in the pocket.”
But as the game wore on, the defense adjusted, pitching a second-half shutout as the ’Canes built up their lead. They held Brown to 27 yards on 14 carries, and his only touchdown came on a Philly Special-esque play in which he caught a pass from wide receiver Sean Atkins.
Despite the high level of play from the defense, the star of the show was once again quarterback Cam Ward. Outside of an interception that traveled through the hands of receiver Jacolby George, the signal-caller put together another near-perfect performance, throwing for 404 yards and three touchdowns while completing 71 percent of his passes.
The big outing bumped Ward’s season numbers up to 1,439 yards and 14 touchdowns, putting him on pace to shatter the program’s single-season passing yard and touchdown records.
“It’s awesome playing with Cam Ward,” receiver Isaiah Horton said. “He’s made his mark instantly.”
Arguably the most impressive part of Ward’s day was his mobility. His rushing totals — four attempts for 25 yards — may not jump off the page, but his escapability was crucial against a USF defense that dialed up plenty of exotic schemes aimed at pressuring the quarterback.
Though the Bulls’ defense may not have gotten to Ward, it managed to keep two of his favorite targets, receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George, mostly in check. The duo combined for 26 yards in the first half.
But that opened things up for Horton, who caught Ward’s first touchdown pass of the day, a six-yard strike to put the ’Canes up 14-9 late in the first quarter.
That was just the start of what became a career day for Horton, who hauled in eight passes for 108 yards; both of those totals were career highs for the sophomore receiver.
“I’m not surprised that he made those plays today,” Ward said. “That boy’s a ball player.”
The win propels the ’Canes to a 4-0 record ahead of their ACC opener against Virginia Tech. As conference play begins, the team has its sights set on the road ahead.
“Nobody’s satisfied,” Cristobal said. “Now it’s conference play, which is a whole different animal.”
“The only games that matter are ACC play,” Ward said.
The ‘Canes return to Hard Rock Stadium to face the Cavaliers on Friday. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.