Cam Ward took a bite out of the record books on Saturday in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
He left Miami hungry for more in the second half.
The superstar Miami quarterback threw for his 156th collegiate passing touchdown late in the first quarter, making him the all-time Division I record-holder.
But Ward, a likely top-five pick in the April NFL draft, sat out the second half of the game as the No.13 Hurricanes fell in a 42-41 heartbreaker to No.18 Iowa State.
Head coach Mario Cristobal did not delve into the reasons why Ward sat out the second half, telling reporters after the game that conversations about that type of move would be kept private.
“Disappointed that we couldn’t pull out a victory,” the Miami coach told reporters. “These guys have always fought and always competed and this was no exception.
“It’s painful. It’s as painful as it gets when you don’t win. But there’s a lot to build on.”
Ward put his name atop 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 that was corralled by Jacolby George.
With the score, Ward passed Case Keenum (Houston) for the Division I lead.
He added two more touchdown passes in the second quarter: a 40-yard catch-and-run to Joshisa Trader and a 33-yard bomb over the top on a perfectly executed post route to Elijah Arroyo.
Ward finished by going 12-for-19 and 190 yards.
But Ward sat out the second half, with Emory Williams taking over and completing just 5 of 14 passes for 26 yards.
Miami was held to just 10 points over the final 30 minutes.
The team was also without stud receiver Xavier Restrepo after he declared for the NFL draft hours before the game.
Ward’s college career began at FCS Incarnate Word (2020-21), where he threw 71 touchdowns before adding 48 with Washington State.
Ward — who had already broken Miami’s single-season touchdown passing record before the bowl game — also moved into the 2024 FBS lead for passing TDs (39) with his three scores Saturday.
The quarterback’s impressive talent has put him atop plenty of mock drafts, with analysts believing he will be among the first picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ward finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, and the day before the award presentation, he said if the Giants — who are currently in line for the top pick — take him, they’d be getting “that dude.”
“I know if they get a chance to get me, they’re going to get everything,” Ward said. “They would be getting that dude. They would be getting somebody who is someone who doesn’t care about anything, just how he moves, how he operates on and off the field, is confident, somebody who is going to challenge himself more than he challenges the team.
“At the end of the day, wins mean everything. You’re getting a winner.”
Ward, however, could see his touchdown record get broken — if Dillon Gabriel has anything to say about it.
The Oregon Ducks quarterback has 153 passing touchdowns going into Wednesday’s College Football Playoff matchup with Ohio State.