No. 8 Miami survived in their Week 6 matchup against their ACC counterpart, the California Golden Bears. The Hurricanes, down by as many as 25 points in the second half, stormed back thanks to their Heisman hopeful and star quarterback Cam Ward.
Ward delivered another Heisman moment to lead the Hurricanes to victory over Cal, 39-38. Ward did what only he could do: complete 35 of his 53 passes for 437 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception with the improbable comeback on the road.
Ward led the fourth straight touchdown drive to end the game and spoiled what looked like would be just one of the many big upsets on Saturday. Instead, Ward sent home the sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium, unhappy after yet another dramatic win for the Hurricanes.
After the game, although the vibes were high for the Hurricanes after the win, Ward said he and the team could not fall behind like that.
Cam Ward #1 of the Miami Hurricanes celebrates during the first half against California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium on October 5, 2024 in Berkeley, California. The University of Miami pulled off an epic comeback against the Cal Golden Bears, thanks to its Heisman hopeful and star quarterback, Cam Ward.
Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images
“We just can’t put ourselves in these situations to come back,” Ward said. “That’s two games straight we had to do that. We have to lock in. … It’s good to get a win. We’re not going to complain. An ugly win is better than a good loss.”
The 22-year-old quarterback produced 277 yards of offense in the fourth quarter, the most of any player in the last seven years. He finished Week 6 leading the nation in passing yards (2,380) and touchdown passes (20) in his first season in Coral Gables.
Ward is proving why he is the best quarterback in the nation this year, and there’s no one more his teammates trust than Ward himself.
“When 1 has the ball in his hands, the game is never over,” receiver Xavier Restrepo said, referring to Ward’s uniform number. “We have extreme confidence in that guy.”
The Golden Bears had a rare opportunity to get a big win in front of their home crowd but Ward and Miami had other things in mind. This now moves the Hurricanes to a 6-0 record, their third time starting with the record in the last 20 years.
Cal has lost 10 straight games against ranked teams and is 1-26 against top-10 teams since the start of the 2004 season. The only win in that span was against the Washington State Cougars in 2017.
The Hurricanes have shown time and time again that Miami football is back, and it’s all thanks to Ward.
According to Fan Duel, Ward has the third-best odds of winning the Heisman, with +600 odds.
More news: Cal Football Legend Marshawn Lynch Revealed as Guest Picker For Historic College GameDay Trip
For more NCAA news, make sure to head over to Newsweek Sports.
