Home College Football No. 8 Miami Dominates Ball State Behind Cam Ward 62-0

No. 8 Miami Dominates Ball State Behind Cam Ward 62-0

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Courtesy Of University Of Miami Athletic Communications

Miami Gardens, Fla. — Cam Ward delivered another standout performance, throwing for 346 yards and five touchdowns before being substituted early in the second half as No. 10 Miami cruised to a 62-0 victory over Ball State on Saturday night.

Miami (3-0) dominated Ball State, outgaining them 750-115, setting a new school record for total yards in a game. The victory marked the Hurricanes’ largest shutout over an FBS opponent, surpassing their 61-0 win against Rutgers in 2001.

Ward has now recorded three consecutive 300-yard games to start the season. He connected with Xavier Restrepo for two touchdowns, and also found Jacolby George, Elijah Arroyo, and Chris Johnson Jr. for scoring passes.

“It’s great to see everyone locked in and preparing the right way,” Ward said. “It’s paying off.”

Ward’s five-touchdown effort was the 10th such game by a Miami quarterback, just one shy of the school record of six touchdowns, set by Jarren Williams against Louisville in 2019. The performance came as Miami celebrated the 35th anniversary of its 1989 national championship team, which featured Mario Cristobal, now the Hurricanes’ head coach, as a young offensive lineman.

“There was definitely some pressure,” Cristobal said. “They had to play well in front of my guys.”

The 2024 Hurricanes did not disappoint. They’ve scored 159 points through three games, the highest total for any Miami team over the same span.

Ajay Allen added to the blowout with a 56-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Emory Williams threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Elija Lofton, going 11 of 12 for 161 yards in relief. Jordan Lyle capped the night with a rushing touchdown for Miami.

Ball State quarterback Kadin Semonza completed 16 of 26 passes for 111 yards. The Cardinals (1-1) are now 0-9 all-time against Top 10 teams and suffered their first shutout since a 42-0 loss to Temple in 2011.

“There’s not much to take away from this one,” Ball State coach Mike Neu admitted.

Through three games, Ward has totaled 1,035 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only one interception, completing 73% of his passes. Aside from a one-play drive to close out the first half, Ward led seven series, resulting in five touchdowns, one field goal, and one punt.

“From start to finish, we became a better football team,” Cristobal said.

The game was delayed for nearly 2 1/2 hours due to lightning in the area.

Next Up:

Ball State: Travels to Central Michigan on Saturday.

Miami: Heads to South Florida on Saturday.