Cam Ward Is The Difference Maker In The Hurricanes Rising To The Challenge At Florida
Cam Ward was brought to the Univerity of Miami to be a game changer at the quarterback position. He was the Chosen One, He was brought in for a particular purpose. He was to lead the University of Miami to an ACC Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Every journey begins with its first step. The first step comes on Saturday at 3:30 ET when the Hurricanes take on the intra-state rival Florida Gators, Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal believes Ward can make a difference in the game with his arm and his leadership.
Ward threw for 6,963 yards and 48 touchdowns in two years at Washington State. He also accumulated insane numbers at Incarnate Word, an FCS program. Cristobal loves his team, but he is really excited about his new Field General.
“Cam Ward has been at different places and at every place he’s been, he’s just gotten better and better and better,” Cristobal said. “Sometimes, he’s been playing from ahead, and sometimes, from behind. But he just plays, and he plays at an extremely high level, and he’s done that since the day he got here. There’s no limitations as it relates to installs, game plan. Sometimes, you’ve got to slow it down so that everybody gets it, but a quarterback like him, he’s so focused and concerned about the team doing well that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make the team do well."
"All in all, a winner and an alpha leader.”
Ward enters this rivalry game with a lot of preseason hype. He is the Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Player of the Year and on watch lists for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
“I just do what I do, be Cameron Ward, and at the end of the day, I’ve just got to be a good communicator to the guys in the huddle, be a good teammate and just put the ball in play,” Ward said.
The expectations the country has for Ward are astronomical. Hurricanes fans are thinking about the College Football Playoff. Media throngs have already pegged him with a seat in New York for the awarding of the Heisman Trophy Award.
“I’m a gunslinger,” Ward said. “That’s just what I do. Continue to be a leader for this team. Continue to put guys in situations that they can be successful and just get the ball to the playmakers.”
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and Ward agree on one thing heading into the game. Communication will be key as the Gators will have the stands packed. Miami has to have non-verbal methods of communication to get plays into the huddle, They cannot rely solely on the quarterback's headset.
“He’s played in a lot of big games; he’s played in some venues that are tough. He understands that where we’re going is going to be challenging. The more I talk to him is just about clear communication," Dawson said. "He’s got to communicate everything. It’s going to be loud; we get that. But everything’s got to be communicated in a certain way, calmly. If we communicate with the 11 guys on the field and everybody’s on the same page, (I) feel really good.”
Ward is not worried. He is cool as a cucumber. He is ready for the 90,000 Gator fans to be whooping and hollering from the opening kickoff.
“I think I’ve made strides as a communicator. From learning different ways to maneuver throughout the huddle, especially how we’ve been practicing. You have to be able to communicate with guys on the fly," Ward said.
“I feel good from a preparation standpoint, from a communication standpoint I find myself and the team in a good situation. We get a chance to go play Florida at home. Playing there is not an easy thing to do, so we’re up for a challenge. We’ve got to rise to the occasion," Ward said.
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Scott Salomon joined On SI in April 2024 covering breaking news and analysis for the Miami Dolphins site, and has since contributed to the Miami Heat, Back in the Day NBA, Miami Hurricanes and San Antonio Spurs sites. Scott is based in South Florida and has been covering the local and national sports scene for 35 years. He's covered and has been credentialed for the Super Bowl, the NFL Combine, various Orange Bowls and college football championship games. Scott was also credentialed for the NBA All-Star game and covered the Miami Heat during their first six seasons for USA TODAY. Scott is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Communication and the St. Thomas University School of Law. Scott has two sons and his hobbies include watching sports on television and binge watching shows on various streaming services.