Cam Ward throws for 4 touchdowns, No. 6 Miami survives Louisville comeback bids for wild 52-45 win
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Cam Ward’s offensive line gave him plenty of time to throw on some big plays. On others, he created the extra time he needed to find his target on his own.
The combination kept No. 6 Miami ahead and, eventually, created opportunities for teammates to win a shootout to remember.
Ajay Allen followed Ward’s fourth touchdown pass with a 2-yard, go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter, Damien Martinez added a 30-yard insurance TD run with 4 minutes, 5 seconds remaining and the Hurricanes held off Louisville for a wild 52-45 victory Saturday.
A series recently defined by high scoring added its most exciting chapter thanks to Ward, who completed a bunch of explosive plays on the way to a school-record seventh consecutive 300-yard passing performance. More importantly, the Hurricanes (7-0, 3-0 ACC) are off to their best start since being 10-0 in 2017.
And the Heisman Trophy candidate made sure to credit everybody for making it happen.
“We got one of the best O-lines, one of the best receiving corps, got a great OC,” Ward said, referring to offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. “All I do is put the ball in play. You see today I’m throwing to wide-open people, and they make contested catches when they need to.
“At the end of day, we just have to continue to do the little things. If we do the little things right, all the other plays that we have, explosive plays, those take care of themselves.”
The Hurricanes withstood several Louisville rallies from double-digit deficits, the last of which was Tyler Shough’s 4-yard TD pass to Duke Watson that tied the score at 38-38 early in the fourth. Ward followed by hitting Samuel Brown for 59 yards, setting up Allen’s go-ahead score with 11:17 remaining.
“We knew it was going to be back and forth,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “This is a win against a really good team.”
Martinez’s bullish TD run provided a cushion, though Shough’s 4-yard scoring pass to Ja’Corey Brooks with 54 seconds left got them within a touchdown. Ward knelt three times to close out the thrilling road win and reclaim the Schnellenberger Trophy, awarded to the winner between programs coached by legendary Howard Schnellenberger.
Ward completed 21 of 32 passes for 319 yards to break the Miami record for consecutive 300-yard games most recently held by Tyler Van Dyke in 2021. Ward is four away from the Miami all-time record for 300-yard games, a mark of 11 shared by Van Dyke and Brad Kaaya.
Xavier Restrepo had nine catches for 101 yards and a TD, and Jacolby George and Brown caught scoring passes of 27 and 49 yards respectively as the ‘Canes outgained Louisville, 538-448. Brown led Miami with 125 yards on three receptions.
Shough completed 31 of 51 for 342 yards and four scores as well for the Cardinals (4-3, 2-2). Brooks had six catches for 107 yards.
“We had some chances,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said. “I do think our guys played hard, but it wasn’t good enough. We definitely have not gotten off to good starts. I applaud our team for hanging in there and playing to the end, but we’ve got to play better football.”
For all the yardage compiled by both teams, their defenses contributed key takeaways that factored in the outcome. Miami linebacker Raul Aguirre Jr. might have made the biggest with an end-zone recovery of Isaac Brown’s fumble caused by Simeon Barrow’s perfectly placed helmet hit on the ball that provided a 24-14 lead in the second quarter.
Louisville’s Thor Griffith jarred the ball from Mark Fletcher Jr., and Jordan Guerad recovered at the Miami 26, leading to Brooks’ 21-yard TD pass from Shough.