Dan Mullen: Cam Ward 'has brought The U's swagger back'
As Miami put together its highly rated transfer portal class, the crown jewel initially planned to take his talents to the next level. Cam Ward declared for the NFL Draft, but opted to return to college football and commit to the Hurricanes.
By doing so, Mario Cristobal got his QB1 – and he has lived up to the billing. But even beyond the stat sheet, Dan Mullen said Ward has already had an impact on Miami’s program as a whole.
Mullen pointed out the “swagger” around the program over a 2-0 start. He said that’s a big reason Ward his most impressive quarterback ahead of Week 3, along with the efficiency he’s shown so far.
“Cam Ward, I think, has looked the most impressive so far this season,” Mullen said on SportsCenter Friday night. “You know what Cam Ward brings. He’s gonna run around, extend plays, make some throws, take risks. But he’s completing 75% of his passes, so those risks are really being cut back. Most importantly – he went into The Swamp and dominated the Gators – but what he has brought is The U’s swagger back.
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“You look and you’ve been watching Miami, and the talent they’ve had the last couple years, you’re saying, ‘Something’s gonna go wrong. They’re gonna mess it up.’ He’s a guy that has brought the swagger of The U back, and that’s what’s made him the most impressive so far.”
Ward is off to a strong start to his time with Miami after arriving from Washington State. Through two games, he ranks fifth in the nation with 344.5 passing yards per game to go with a 75.4% completion percentage, which puts him in the Top 10 in the FBS.
The biggest performance, of course, came in Week 1. Ward threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns as Miami got a rivalry victory over Florida, 41-17, in Gainesville. That provided Hurricanes fans with a glimpse of what could be yet to come this season.
However, Ward said Miami still has room to grow. Despite the two strong showings out of the gate, he thinks the Hurricanes will get even better as the season goes along.
“No. We’re not even close to playing our best football,” Ward said. “If you go back and really watch the tape from the first game, I would say there was a minimum of ten bad plays just from a quarterback and receiver standpoint. And from this last game, the biggest takeaways were the fourth downs, and that was us just not doing little things. So, that’s something we have to clean up.”