No. 16 Miami lost the Pop-Tarts Bowl to No. 19 Iowa State on Saturday, a game that produced a thrilling 42-41 result in favor of the Cyclones.
Heisman Trophy finalist Cam Ward was brilliant in his time on the field, completing 12 of 19 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns in a single half of play vs. Iowa State. He not only led Miami to a 31-28 halftime lead, but also set the NCAA Division I record for most career touchdowns (158).
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Unfortunately for Hurricanes fans, Ward did not play another down in the Pop-Tarts Bowl defeat, sitting out the remainder of the game out of halftime. Instead, backup Emory Williams finished the game for Miami, completing 5 of 14 passes for 26 yards and a game-ending interception on a Hail Mary.
Ward is projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, but his decision not to play after halftime — after he had played the first half — elicited plenty of reactions from college football fans watching Saturday’s game:
Cam Ward sits out second half of Pop-Tarts Bowl loss: Social media reacts
I appreciate that Cam Ward, in this day and age in CFB, played at all. 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…
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) December 28, 2024
Cam Ward playing the first half and then being done is actually more egregious to me than any of the guys who opt out and don’t go through any of the bowl process. Not to mention it makes it look like he only did it for the individual record he achieved.
— Mason Voth (@TheRealMasonV) December 28, 2024
This decision by Cam Ward to opt out of the 2nd half of a game…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/cam-ward-sits-second-half-005109024.html
Author : USA TODAY Sports
Publish date : 2024-12-29 00:51:00
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