Coral Gables, FL.- The U is back baby!
That’s a sentence I know the overwhelming majority of people reading this article did not enjoy, but, it’s the truth. Year three of the Mario Cristobal era at Miami has started off with a bang.
The now #10 team in the country has dominated the first two weeks of the season, and a large factor of the Hurricanes’ success has came from the elite play from QB Cam Ward. Ward, a Washington State transfer, is on pace to be one of the best QBs in Miami history, and has a legitimate chance of securing the coveted Heisman Trophy.
Opening the season, Cam Ward led the Hurricanes into Gainesville, Florida to take on the Florida Gators. While most teams face problems in the Swamp, Miami certainly didn’t. Ward came out and impressed early on the National Game of the Week, throwing for 385 yards and 3 touchdowns, coming away with a 96% QB Rating. The Hurricanes’ entered Gainesville and drained the Swamp, defeating UF 41-17.
Ward’s 350+ yard performance became the most by any Miami player in their debut game since 1980.
Cam Ward followed up this elite performance with another big game in Miami’s home opener against FAMU. Ward went 20/26 for 304 yards and another 3 touchdowns, alongside a diving rushing score.
So what can we tell about Cam Ward’s game? Well for starters, he’s just getting warmed up.
Ward is perfectly displaying his ability to dominate in the passing attack, alongside a strong rushing game. Miami is game planning around Cam’s natural athleticism, which has elevated their offense ten-fold from last year.
Through two games, Ward hasn’t appeared to force stupid throws or make any costly mistakes. Even on the rare plays where the pocket breaks down around him, Ward appears calm and collected inside the pocket, taking his time and studying his progressions in order to knock down an easy throw.
For those that doubted and criticized Cam Ward’s arm leading into the season, Ward currently leads all college QB’s in completions (9) and passing grades (97.9) for throws over 20 yards.
After two games, playing approximately seven quarters of football, Ward is currently a top ten QB in practically every statistical category, including
Yards: 689 (T-6)
Completion %: 75.4 (10)
TD: 6 (T-8)
QBR: 199.5 (13)
While this hot start is inspiring to a ‘Canes fanbase that’s experienced over twenty years of sadness, those in the Miami locker room aren’t close to being satisfied.
During Thursday’s media availability, Cam Ward shared:
“We’re not even close to playing our best football.”
With this mindset across the entire locker room, expect the elite production to continue from Miami and Cam Ward.
Cover Photo Credit: Alex Muniz, New Era Prep