Cam Ward Hyped as 2024 Heisman Candidate After No. 19 Miami Routs Florida in Opener

Cam Ward's debut for Miami went swimmingly on Saturday.

The Washington State transfer was dominant as the No. 19 Hurricanes dominated Florida 41-17 in the Swamp. He had 385 passing yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-35 passing, also picking up 33 rushing yards on just three carries.

The Associated Press' Tim Reynolds noted that Ward's performance marked the first time a Miami quarterback has thrown for more than 300 yards in a debut since at least 1979.

Miami's 41 points scored on Saturday were the most Florida has allowed in a home opener in program history.

After Ward's outstanding game, college football fans hyped him up as an early Heisman candidate.

"Yeah, he's not bad," Miami head coach Mario Cristobal told reporters of Ward after the win. "All the stuff that you guys were probably wondering during camp: 'Man, they talk a lot about Cam Ward. Is he really that good?' He's just scratching the surface. Really accurate, improvised, extended plays. Every team has a spark plug. Every game has a spark plug. He was the guy today."

Those who followed the Pac-12 and Washington State a season ago likely weren't surprised by Ward's performance on Saturday. Last season for the Cougars, he had 3,735 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, also picking up eight touchdowns on the ground.

His freshman season at Incarnate Word saw him put up video game-like numbers, throwing for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns.

It will be hard to make a routine out of games like Saturday's, but if Ward can do so it won't be a surprise to see him named a Heisman Trophy finalist in December.