Cam Ward’s offensive line provided him with plenty of time to make big throws, and at times, he created extra time himself to find his targets.
This teamwork helped No. 6 Miami stay ahead and opened up chances for teammates to win a memorable shootout.
Ajay Allen scored a 2-yard go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter after Ward’s fourth touchdown pass, and Damien Martinez added a 30-yard insurance touchdown run with 4:05 left, allowing the Hurricanes to fend off Louisville for a wild 52-45 win on Saturday.
This high-scoring matchup gained excitement thanks to Ward, who made several big plays and set a school record with his seventh straight game of 300 or more passing yards. More importantly, the Hurricanes (7-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) are off to their best start since going 10-0 in 2017.
Ward, a Heisman Trophy candidate, made sure to give credit to his teammates for their success.
“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 the 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 managed to hold off several Louisville comebacks from double-digit deficits, the last being Tyler Shough’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Duke Watson that tied the game at 38 early in the fourth quarter.
Ward then connected with Samuel Brown for a 59-yard pass, setting up Allen’s go-ahead touchdown with 11:17 remaining. “We knew it was going to be back and forth,” said Miami coach Mario Cristobal. “This is a win against a really good team.”
Martinez’s powerful touchdown run gave Miami a cushion, but Shough’s 4-yard scoring pass to Ja’Corey Brooks with 54 seconds left brought Louisville within a touchdown. Ward took three knees to finish the exciting road win and reclaim the Schnellenberger Trophy, awarded to the winner between teams coached by the legendary Howard Schnellenberger.
Ward completed 21 of 32 passes for 319 yards, breaking the Miami record for consecutive 300-yard games previously held by Tyler Van Dyke in 2021. He is now four games away from the Miami all-time record for 300-yard games, which stands at 11, shared by Van Dyke and Brad Kaaya.
Xavier Restrepo had nine catches for 101 yards and a touchdown, while Jacolby George and Brown each caught touchdown passes of 27 and 49 yards, respectively. The Hurricanes outgained Louisville 538-448, with Brown leading Miami with 125 yards on three receptions.
For the Cardinals (4-3, 2-2), Shough completed 31 of 51 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns. Brooks had six catches for 107 yards.
“We had some chances,” said Louisville coach Jeff Brohm. “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.”
