Cam Ward made his mark on the record books Saturday at the Poptarts Bowl.
He left Miami looking for more in the second half.
Miami's superstar quarterback scored his 156th collegiate passing touchdown late in the first quarter, becoming the Division I all-time record holder.
However, Ward, who is likely to be a top-five pick in April's NFL Draft, missed the second half of the game as the No. 13 Hurricanes lost 42-41 to No. 18 Iowa State.
Head coach Mario Cristobal did not delve into why Ward was absent for the second half. spoke to reporters after the game Conversations about that kind of movement will be kept private.
Miami's coach told reporters, “It's disappointing that we couldn't snatch the victory.'' “They've always fought, always competed, and this was no exception.
“It hurts. It hurts so much when you don't win. But there's a lot to build on.”
Ward put his name at the top of the list in the first quarter when he faked a handoff on first-and-goal from the 4-yard line and threw a lob into the back of the end zone, surrounded by Jacolby George.
With this score, Ward passed Case Keenum (Houston) for first place in Division I.
He added two more touchdown passes in the second quarter. A 40-yard catch-and-run to Jositha Trader and a 33-yard bomb over the top on a perfect post route to Elijah Arroyo.
Ward completed 12 of 19 for 190 yards.
However, Ward missed the second half and Emory Williams took over, completing only 5 of 14 passes for 26 yards.
Miami was held to just 10 points in the final 15 minutes.
The team also was without stud receiver Xavier Restrepo, as he declared for the NFL draft several hours before the game.
Ward's college career began with FCS Incarnate Ward (2020-21), where he scored 48 touchdowns before scoring 71 at Washington State University.
Ward, who had already broken Miami's single-season touchdown passing record before the bowl game, moved into the 2024 FBS passing TD lead (39) with Saturday's three points.
The quarterback's tremendous talent has him ranked high in numerous mock drafts, and analysts believe he will be one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ward finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting and said the day before the ceremony that if the Giants, who are currently listed as potential No. 1 picks, were to take him, they would get “that guy.” .
“I know that if they have a chance to get me, they're going to get everything,” Ward said. “They're going to get that guy. You will also get people who are willing to challenge themselves.
“At the end of the day, winning means everything. You've got a winner.”
But if Dillon Gabriel has anything to say about it, Ward could see his touchdown record broken.
The Oregon Ducks quarterback has 153 passing touchdowns heading into Wednesday's College Football Playoff game against Ohio State.
