It was an uncharacteristically tense four hours at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night, as the No. 7 Hurricanes, led by star quarterback Cam Ward, appeared on the brink of an early upset against Virginia Tech in their Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opener.
Miami’s winning aspirations seemed in doubt for some time, but Ward did what he has done best through these five games – put the team on his back and make a statement, in a way Miami hasn’t done since its last taste of glory in the early 2000s.
“This team probably over the last 20 years lost a game like this,” said head coach Mario Cristobal to reporters after the VT victory. “And this team found a way to win.” Ward has been the engine behind the surging ‘Canes offense through five games and counting.
To say that his start to the year is fantastic would be an understatement.
The transfer from Washington State currently leads all quarterbacks in the nation with a whopping 18 touchdowns in five games so far, as well as averaging 356.4 yards per game and totaling 1,782 yards. That’s just 33 shy of the 1,815 yards Ole Miss’s quarterback Jaxson Dart has registered. With that, Ward has helped the ‘Canes garner the most passing yards per game nationally (392.6) with such a stellar offensive start.
Ward’s prowess has been the main focal point of Miami’s statement outings to start the year, and a bit of uncharted territory comes with it as well. This time around, Miami’s offense has scored 35+ points and registered at least 300 passing yards in each of its five games so far, while totaling 49.4 points per game on average so far. It’s no secret why the ’Canes now find themselves in the top 10 of the Associated Press rankings, and they have none other than Ward and his offense to thank.
Compare this to the 2023 season, where the offense averaged 39 points and 506 yards of offense per game through five games, while in 2024, the ‘Canes have totaled 585.6 yards per game through this time. Such a jump from 2023 with this new-look offense is a clear indication of the impact that Ward and his offense have had on Miami’s progression under Cristobal.
The discussion for the Heisman Trophy has already seen Ward’s name included a healthy amount of times. His main competition, such as Dart, or Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, or Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, to name a few, are certainly setting this season up for one tight race to New York. Ward’s case for the trophy at this stage of the season is as clear as day – any quarterback who keeps up at the rate he’s playing would run away with the trophy.
Ward currently leads the nation in touchdowns and is second in quarterback rating and total yards, and there’s still plenty of the season left for him to continue putting up dominant numbers.