Cam Ward decision: Danny Kanell hammers QB for sitting during 2nd half of Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Iowa State

The critics of a puzzling halftime decision surrounding star Miami quarterback Cam Ward were out in full force on Saturday night following the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Ward guided Miami to a 31-28 lead in the game against Iowa State before sitting out the second half, despite no appearance of an injury. His absence left analysts and fans alike wondering what had happened.

Noted analyst Danny Kanell was among the most outspoken on Cam Ward.

“Why play only a half???” Kanell wrote on Twitter. “Opting out at halftime is weak. … I can’t imagine sitting on the sidelines during a game your team can win looking at my teammates putting their bodies on the line and saying ‘Nah I’m good.'”

Miami would ultimately lose 42-41, with backup Emory Williams unable to lead a game-winning drive in the final minute of play.

Cam Ward, on the other hand, had been virtually unstoppable in the first half. The talented starting quarterback had gone 12-of-19 passing in the game for 190 yards with three touchdowns prior to his exit. He’d also rushed twice for eight yards.

But perhaps most importantly, his leadership and cool, collected demeanor proved impossible to replace. Miami simply didn’t look like the same team without him, scoring only 10 points the rest of the way.

Kanell wasn’t the only one to question the Cam Ward decision.

Analysts like Todd McShay immediately questioned the decision, and Twitter was a cacophony of criticism for both Ward and Miami.

“I appreciate that Cam Ward, in this day and age in CFB, played at all,” McShay wrote on Twitter. “But I just can’t imagine starting any game with teammates, especially as a quarterback, and electing to pull myself out while my teammates are still trying to finish the job in a back-and-forth battle.

“I’m a realist. I know the climate. I’m not even knocking Cam here. It’s just different.”