Miami Hurricanes Football

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal is not divulging any information about quarterback Cam Ward's absence in the second half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Ward played in the first half but did not play in the second half of the 42-41 loss to Iowa State. Following the game, Cristobal expressed his desire to keep the details around the decision "private."

"I think all meetings with players and decisions like that, we keep them in private and keep them in private," Cristobal said, per Adam Lichtenstein of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "So I'll prefer not to answer questions as it relates to that. I know he played his best while he was in there."

Ward went 12-of-19 for 190 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, setting the record for most touchdown passes in a collegiate career in the process. Miami was down 28-27 at halftime and backup Emory Williams took over under center.

Williams went 5-of-14 for 26 yards and an interception in the second half but a rushing attack paced by Damien Martinez and Mark Fletcher Jr. kept Miami's hopes alive. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, it was not enough, but Ward's presence could have potentially flipped the script and sent them home with an 11-2 record.

Ward is a top prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft and will likely hear his name called very early by a quarterback-needy team. With this in mind, preserving his health may have been a factor in the decision to not play.

Regardless of what happened, Miami finishes with a 10-win season and will look to the future while Ward will finally get to embrace the NFL Draft process.

After missing out on the College Football Playoff, the Miami Hurricanes were unable to end the 2024 season on a high note.

The Hurricanes fell to Iowa State 42-41 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Saturday and finish the 2024 season 10-3.

Quarterback Cam Ward only played in the first half of the game but that was enough for him to secure his place in history.

He set the Division I record for passing touchdowns in a career, breaking the previous mark of 155 set by Case Keenum.

Ward went 12-of-19 for 190 yards and three touchdowns in the opening half. Miami trailed 28-27 when he exited the matchup. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that representatives from the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders were in attendance.

He finished his season with 4,313 passing yards with 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He should be an early pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and will hope to translate his collegiate game to the professional level.

Fans took to social media to project Ward's draft position and NFL potential.

Ward finishes his collegiate career with 18,189 yards and finishes third all-time in passing yards in a career.

He will now turn his attention to the NFL Draft process and figuring out which team he will be taking snaps for in 2025.

During Saturday's Pop-Tarts Bowl between the Miami Hurricanes and Iowa State Cyclones, an altercation erupted on the Miami sideline during the first half, with two teammates throwing punches.

The altercation came amid a high-scoring first half, with each team putting up 28 points midway through the second quarter.

The clash between the two defensive linemen appeared to involve senior Simeon Barrow Jr. and freshman Marquise Lightfoot, with Lightfoot responding to a push from Barrow Jr. by throwing a punch. Teammates and coaching staff swiftly intervened to separate them.

The Hurricanes entered Saturday's game with a 10-2 record, ranked 15th overall and third in the ACC thanks to Heisman candidate Cam Ward.

In the first quarter of the bowl game, Ward set the record for the most Division I career passing touchdowns with 156 after a four-yard pass to Jacoby George.

The Hurricanes hope to bounce back against the Cyclones and finish their season strong after a 42-38 upset loss to the Syracuse Orange in their final regular-season game.

University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward commented Saturday on the possibility of being one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL draft.

During an appearance on ESPN SportsCenter, Ward said the following when asked about a quarterback-needy team such as the Las Vegas Raiders or New York Giants potentially taking him near the top of the draft:

"It's a blessing, especially to be in this position. The journey I had to solidify myself as one of the best quarterbacks in college to potentially get to [the] NFL. I mean, it's all God. I mean, the teammates that I have around me, they help me put myself in this position. We all made plays, so, you know, me projected to go that high, it's something that I don't take lightly. I have, you know, just a chip on my shoulder, you know, that'll never leave."

The 22-year-old Ward took a circuitous route before establishing himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class, starting at FCS Incarnate Word before transferring to Washington State and then Miami.

Ward reached his full potential at Miami as a senior, completing 67.4 percent of his passes for 4,123 yards, 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while also rushing for 196 yards and four scores.

As a result, Ward was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and the ACC Rookie of the Year, plus he is a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, along with Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

At 10-2, the Hurricanes have their first double-digit-win season since 2017, and they barely missed out on the ACC Championship Game and a chance to play in the College Football Playoff.

While things could change during the pre-draft process, which includes the NFL Scouting Combine, Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders are widely considered the top quarterback prospects as of now.

Of the teams currently slotted to pick early in the 2024 draft, the Raiders and Giants clearly have the biggest need at quarterback, so it comes as no surprise that they have been heavily linked to both Ward and Sanders.

The Raiders haven't gotten much out of veteran signal-caller Gardner Minshew or 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O'Connell this season, while the Giants released starter Daniel Jones and have been cycling through Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito ever since.

Although the Raiders and Giants are tied for the worst record in the NFL at 2-11, other teams who need a quarterback could play their way into the equation for Ward and Sanders, including the 3-10 Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns.

Regardless of how the draft order plays out, Ward is a strong candidate to be picked inside the top five, and it is very difficult to envision him falling out of the top 10.

Six quarterbacks came off the board within the first 12 picks of the 2024 NFL draft, and while the 2025 quarterback class is not considered to be as deep, the scarcity perhaps improves Ward's chances of going early.

Neither Ward nor Sanders are slam dunks to be stars at the next level, but Ward's ability to go from FCS quarterback to Heisman finalist and top NFL draft prospect suggests he may have the fortitude needed to succeed in the NFL.

On the day that he could win the Heisman Trophy, Cam Ward is still unhappy with the College Football Playoff selection committee for leaving Miami out of the 12-team field.

Appearing on the Saturday morning episode of SportsCenter, Ward called out the committee for leaving out the "best" quarterback and offense in the country.

"I'm really over it at this point, can't go back in the past and really control anything," Ward said. "I mean, at the end of the day, they left out the best quarterback in the country, they left out the best offense in the country. So, they're going to do what they got to do."

The Hurricanes wound up being one of the last two teams left out of the field, along with Alabama. They were No. 13 in the final rankings released on Sunday, two spots behind the Crimson Tide.

SMU at No. 10 was the lowest-ranked non-conference champion to make the playoff. The Mustangs were the most controversial choice inclusion after their 34-31 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.

(Despite being 10th in the final rankings, SMU is the No. 11 seed in the playoff because the four highest-ranked conference champions receive an automatic bye. Even though Arizona State is ranked No. 12, it will be the No. 4 seed as the fourth-best conference champion after winning the Big 12.)

The Hurricanes missed their chance to play for a national title by losing two of their final three games after starting the season 9-0. Their 42-38 loss to Syracuse on Nov. 30 knocked them out of the ACC title game where they would have had the opportunity to play SMU.

Based on team resumes, Miami finished ahead of SMU in strength of record and strength of schedule.

Ward's frustration at not being able to play for a national title is understandable, but the biggest reason he won't have that chance is because Miami's defense simply wasn't good enough when it needed to be.

Defense was an issue for the Hurricanes throughout the season. Their 23.9 points allowed per game ranked 60th in FBS. They allowed 271 rushing yards in a 28-24 loss to Georgia Tech. Kyle McCord went 26-of-36 for 380 yards and three touchdowns for Syracuse in its win over Miami.

If the defense had made a key defensive stop in either of those games, Ward and the Hurricanes might be preparing to play for the playoffs. He can still end his year with a win as one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy that will be awarded on Saturday.

Ward finished first in FBS in passing touchdowns (36) and second in passing yards (4,123). He is the first Miami player to be a finalist for the Heisman since Ken Dorsey in 2002.

When the College Football Playoff committee revealed their latest rankings on Tuesday, Miami landed in the No. 12 spot with Alabama one spot ahead of it.

The positioning likely means the Hurricanes will miss the 12-team CFP barring any reconsideration after conference championships this weekend. Miami star quarterback Cam Ward was not shy about his feelings about the committee's decision.

"I mean at the end of the day them boys who in that committee, I really doubt they watch tape or not," Ward said on the ACC Network on Wednesday (h/t On3's Thomas Goldkamp). "I mean you can't, I mean, we're a 10-2 team. Not saying Alabama's not a good team, which they are, but let's talk about them points. That's probably the biggest factor, I believe."

Ward pointed to Miami's offensive numbers while also arguing they're a balanced team.

"We've got a top 25 defense, which is actually one of the best defenses in the country," Ward said. "So both sides of the ball we're one of the best teams in the country. You talk about an offense who puts points on the board left and right, whether it's passing, whether it's throwing. We've got two great running backs in the backfield in Dame (Martinez) and Mark (Fletcher), so it's hard to leave that out."

He also took to social media to voice his frustration.

Ward and the Hurricanes were well on their way to reaching the College Football Playoff until November when they faced an upset loss to Georgia Tech. Their hopes of reaching the Playoff and the ACC Championship took a hit in their season finale when they fell to Syracuse.

Still, with two losses, it wasn't inconceivable for Miami to be included in the 12-team field. Three teams included in the top 11 have two losses and one team, Alabama, has three.

The committee ultimately favored the Crimson Tide over the Hurricanes, though, and now they can only hope something changes in their favor as they sit idly over the weekend.

Alabama has losses to unranked Vanderbilt, No. 7 Tennessee and unranked Oklahoma this year. The Tide's losses, in the committee's eyes, are outweighed by their wins as Alabama has taken down No. 5 Georgia, No. 14 South Carolina, No. 19 Missouri and others.

On the contrary, Miami has not beaten any team currently ranked inside the top 25. It's best wins would likely be considered by most to be its 41-17 rout against Florida in Week 1 and a 52-45 win over Louisville.

Ward is not the first person to voice his frustration with the committee following Tuesday's ranking reveal. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement that he was "incredibly shocked and disappointed" by the decision to keep Miami out and said the Canes "absolutely deserves better from the committee."

On Saturday, SMU and Clemson will play for the ACC championship and an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff. The winner of that game will likely be the conference's only team included in the new 12-team field. The SEC and Big Ten, as the rankings currently stand, will have eight teams combined in the Playoff.

Miami's hopes of an undefeated season crumbled over the past few weeks after the Hurricanes lost to Georgia Tech and Syracuse, but there was still belief they could find their way into the 12-team College Football Playoff.

When the rankings were revealed on Tuesday, Miami missed out on the No. 11 spot, which instead went to Alabama. Now the Hurricanes will likely miss the CFP unless the committee sees something that changes its mind this week.

The decision to put the Crimson Tide over Miami left ACC commissioner Jim Phillips "incredibly shocked and disappointed," he said in a statement, per ESPN. Phillips also said the Hurricanes "absolutely deserves better from the committee."

"As we look ahead to the final rankings, we hope the committee will reconsider and put a deserving Miami in the field," Phillips said.

If the rankings stand, the ACC will have just one representative in the CFP: the winner of the conference championship between SMU and Clemson. As it stands now, the SEC and Big Ten have four teams each in the Playoff.

Miami was a clear favorite to reach the College Football Playoff until its Nov. 9 loss to Georgia Tech. That loss hurt their chances, but making the 12-team field was still very realistic. Saturday's loss to Syracuse meant the Hurricanes would need plenty of grace from the committee.

Alabama, barring any major changes, will be the only three-loss team to make the field. The Crimson Tide have losses to Vanderbilt, No. 7 Tennessee and Oklahoma. The 24-3 loss to the Sooners two weeks ago is an especially bad stain on their resume.

One could argue that Alabama's wins make up for its losses, as the Tide have victories over No. 5 Georgia, No. 14 South Carolina, No. 19 Missouri, LSU and more, which was likely the committee's reasoning for their placement.

Still, for Miami players, staff and fans, it's likely hard to understand the committee's thinking.

No. 6 Miami suffered a disastrous loss on Saturday, falling to Syracuse by the final score of 42-38.

Standout quarterback Cam Ward was efficient once again for the Hurricanes, finishing 25-of-36 for 349 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Miami's defense struggled to keep up, though.

Syracuse racked up 479 total yards in the contest, while Kyle McCord threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns of his own.

The Hurricanes led 21-0 in the second quarter, but the Orange responded by scoring 21 straight points before taking the lead with a fumble return in the third quarter.

With the loss, Miami was knocked out of the ACC Championship Game. No. 12 Clemson will now face No. 9 SMU for the conference title, while the Hurricanes' path towards a College Football Playoff berth became much more difficult.

Fans discussed Miami's CFP outlook following the defeat.

Head coach Mario Cristobal's team opened the season with nine straight wins and appeared to be on track to secure a CFP spot. However, Saturday's defeat combined with a 28-23 loss to Georgia Tech on Nov. 9 puts the Hurricanes in serious danger of failing to secure one of the 12 available playoff spots.

Miami fell to 10-2 and its CFP fate is now in the hands of the selection committee.

Cam Ward is widely considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft class, but one AFC scout is concerned he may possess a fatal flaw.

"He has times where he has to scratch his itch for reckless plays, and it leaves you asking, 'What the heck was he thinking there?'" the scout said to ESPN's Jordan Reid. "I like him and don't know if that can be coached out of him."

Ward has thrown for 3,774 yards and an FBS-best 34 touchdowns with Miami sitting at 10-1. He probably deserves more credit than any other player for the Hurricanes being a College Football Playoff contender.

To the scout's point, however, the senior signal-caller has been prone to making some puzzling decisions in the pocket.

No game sums up the Cam Ward experience better than Miami's 39-38 win over Cal on Oct. 5.

The Hurricanes trailed 35-10 midway through the third quarter and Ward had a hand in creating that sizable deficit. On Miami's first play of the second half, he committed the cardinal sin of throwing against his body into the middle of the field, and it resulted in an ugly pick-six.

But Ward caught fire in the fourth quarter and helped Miami score 21 unanswered points to complete its comeback. His five-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Arroyo was the decisive moment.

The trouble with a prospect such as Ward is that there's an eternal push and pull. He's so good in part because he's instinctual and isn't afraid of taking chances, but that kind of approach is bound to backfire at times.

Caleb Williams had a similar propensity to extend plays at USC, and it didn't take long for him to discover that's not gonna fly in the NFL.

With Ward, the upside is so high that he warrants being the first or second quarterback off the board this spring. He's narrowly ahead of Colorado's Shedeur Sanders for the title of QB1 on Bleacher Report's big board.

But it's not hard to see why Ward would eventually fall short of expectations at the next level.