Cam Ward threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Arroyo with 26 seconds left and No. 8 Miami recovered from a 25-point, third-quarter deficit to register a 39-38 victory over Cal in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday night at Berkley, Calif.
Ward completed 35 of 53 passes for a season-best 437 yards, along with two touchdowns and one interception for Miami (6-0, 2-0 ACC), which scored 21 unanswered points in the final 10:28. Mark Fletcher Jr. and Damien Martinez rushed for scores before the fourth quarter, Xavier Restrepo caught seven passes for 163 yards, and Isaiah Horton had nine catches for 83 yards and the first of the final three touchdowns for Miami.
The Hurricanes drove 92 yards on six plays in 76 seconds for the decisive score. A broken coverage helped Ward and Restrepo team up for a 77-yard pass play on the first play to move the ball from Miami’s own 8-yard line to the Cal 15, setting up the winning points.
Francisco Mauigoa intercepted Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza with five seconds left to seal it.
The Hurricanes outgained the Golden Bears 278-26 in the final quarter and 575-370 for the game.
Mendoza, a native of Miami, completed 11 of 22 passes for 285 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Golden Bears (3-2, 0-2).
Nohl Williams collected fifth interception of the season and returned it for score, Jaydn Ott scored two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving), and Jack Endries had a scoring reception for the Golden Bears.
Miami trailed 35-10 in the third quarter but crept within 38-25 on Ward’s 18-yard pass to Horton with 10:28 left in the contest.
The next time the Hurricanes got the ball, Ward raced 24 yards on a scramble to pull Miami within six with 4:04 remaining.
After Miami scored the game’s first touchdown on Fletcher’s 3-yard run in the opening quarter, the Golden Bears scored 35 of the next 38 points.
Mendoza connected with Endries on a 57-yard scoring play to tie the game with 3:58 left in the first period. Ott scored on a run from the 5 early in the second quarter to give Cal a 14-7 lead.
Andres Borregales kicked a 46-yard field goal to bring the Hurricanes within four with 9:07 left.
Cal made it 21-10 just 67 seconds later as Ott caught a short pass in the right flat and outran Miami defenders down the sideline for a 66-yard score.
Early in the third quarter, a scrambling Ward threw the ball toward the center of the field and Williams intercepted it and went 40 yards for a touchdown.
Cal’s lead topped out at 35-10 when backup quarterback Chandler Rogers entered and ran 9 yards for a touchdown with 8:06 left in the third quarter.
–Field Level Media