In an unexpected turn during Saturday’s Pop-Tarts Bowl, Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward, a 2024 Heisman finalist and 2025 NFL Draft hopeful, decided to sit out the second half of the game after throwing three touchdown passes in the first. Ward’s decision seemed to be a calculated move to preserve his health ahead of his professional future, as he prepared for what’s shaping up to be a promising NFL career.
While Ward didn’t speak to the media post-game, his head coach, Mario Cristobal, addressed the situation. When asked about the decision to bench Ward for the second half, Cristobal kept the specifics private but affirmed Ward’s strong performance. “I think all meetings with players and decisions like that, we make them in private and we keep them in private,” Cristobal said. “I know he played his best while he was in there.”
Before exiting the game, Ward had completed 12 of 19 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns, giving Miami a 31-28 lead at halftime. However, after Emory Williams took over as quarterback, the Hurricanes couldn’t hold on, and Iowa State ultimately claimed a 42-41 victory.
Ward’s impressive first-half performance also helped him set a new career milestone, surpassing Case Keenum’s Division I passing touchdown record with 158 career touchdowns. As he looks ahead to the NFL, Ward remains one of the most exciting quarterback prospects in this year’s draft.
