Miami, FL
Cam Ward hasn't played a real game yet at Miami. He's already the Hurricanes' unquestioned leader
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami quarterback Cam Ward tells stories with a smile. He laughs a lot. He’s a high-energy guy on the football field, engaging with teammates, cheering on his offense and chirping at his defense. He seems like the happiest person on the field.
It’s only a little bit of an act.
Deep down, Ward still plays with the anger that he’s had throughout his college career. A zero-star recruit coming out of high school, a product of a Wing-T offense, too short, too this, too that … Ward — who had his first spring game with the Hurricanes on Saturday after transferring in over the winter from Washington State — remembers every doubt that was cast his way.
“I carry all of that with me every day,” Ward said. “You’ve got to have something to keep you going. The time you get complacent, that’s the time you can let people pass you by.”
Ward has swagger, and that’s what the Hurricanes were looking for. There’s no FBS quarterback returning this season who averaged more yards in 2023 than Ward — his 311 yards per contest last year was behind only Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Oregon’s Bo Nix and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU in the national rankings.
And of all the quarterbacks expected back in college football this fall, no matter the level, only Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel has passed for more yards than Ward. Miami’s new leader has thrown for 13,876 yards and 119 touchdowns in his four college seasons — the first two at FCS member Incarnate Word, the last two at Washington State.
“I think quickly, he earned trust,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “And he earned trust in the fact that he’s up there in the office every waking free moment that he has, and he gets there early, and he leaves late. He pulls aside the receivers and the tight ends and he watched film with them, and he takes the lineman out to eat, and he spends time with the running backs …
Miami quarterback Cam Ward (1) prepares to throw during NCAA college football practice in Coral Gables, Fla., Monday, March 4, 2024. Ward played his first spring game with the Hurricanes on Saturday, April 13, 2024. The Washington State transfer hasn’t wasted any time becoming the full-fledged leader of a Miami team hoping to contend for a college football playoff spot in 2024. Credit: AP/Matias J. Ocner
“Trust and confidence is earned. It’s not just given away. What he has done, he has earned — earned — the trust of the people around him because of his time invested and the fact that he’s an alpha. And your quarterback needs to be an alpha.”
It was not easy for Miami to land Ward when he entered the transfer portal last winter. Ward also was considering jumping to the NFL, thinking that would have made it easier for him to satisfy his primary goal of taking care of his parents, both diabetics who have made tons of sacrifices for him and never miss his games. And for a time, it looked like he was going the pro route.
Then one Saturday night, after a workout, Ward just made up his mind. He called Miami recruiting coordinator Stephen Field and said he’d be on campus the next day. Field thought he meant to visit. Ward told him it would be for a bit longer than that.
“I feel like this was the perfect spot where God is going to prosper me,” Ward said. “I did a lot in my journey to get here. But I feel like I still have more on the table. A lot hasn’t gone my way. I feel like that’s a good thing. All that’s going to help me now.”
Miami’s concepts on offense are consistent with what Ward likes. He studied the offensive line and saw how well it protected quarterbacks last season. And if all that wasn’t enough, one thing might have truly set Miami apart from other schools — he loves the fishing in South Florida.
Without even playing in a real game yet, Ward is already the unquestioned leader of the team. He’s taken his offensive line out to all-you-can-eat steak dinners and is looking for more places where he can bring the group. He has full command of the huddle. He throws passes to little kids after practices (and tried to sneak them some footballs, something Miami’s equipment staff didn’t think was a great idea). He’s even spoken directly with some Miami fans, making sure they know that he wants the Hurricanes to have a breakthrough season in 2024 just as badly as they do.
“We have unbelievable support here,” Ward said. “It’s family. We’re all family and they want us to be successful. They put a lot into us. We’ve got to show them it’s paying off. And winning takes care of a lot of things. If we win some football games, everyone’s going to be happy.”
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An investigation is underway at a northwest Miami-Dade apartment complex after the sheriff’s office said a man was shot by his girlfriend after a “heated dispute” early Wednesday morning.
Few details have been released, but the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said the incident took place at an apartment complex located off Northwest 7th Avenue.
The sheriff’s office said that a man became involved in a “heated dispute” with his girlfriend, and she shot him in the right arm.
He was rushed to a hospital by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue in critical condition.
The woman is in custody.
The identities of those who were involved have not yet been released.
No other information was available.
Game date, time and location: Tuesday, Mar. 3, 7:30 p.m. EST, Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Sun, YES Network (Brooklyn)
Radio: 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida), WFAN 101.9 FM/660 AM (Brooklyn)
VITALS: The Miami Heat (32-29) and Brooklyn Nets (15-45) meet for the second of three regular season matchups. Earlier this season, Miami recorded a, 106-95, win in Brooklyn on December 18 and has now won four of the last five overall against the Nets.
It also marks the first of consecutive games against Brooklyn with the teams facing each other again on Thursday. The Heat are 83-61 all-time versus the Nets during the regular season, including 44-26 in home games and 39-35 in road games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Davion Mitchell
G Tyler Herro
C Bam Adebayo
F Pelle Larsson
F Andrew Wiggins
NETS
G Nolan Traore
G Terance Mann
C Nic Claxton
F Michael Porter Jr.
F Noah Clowney
INJURY REPORT
HEAT
Davion Mitchell: Questionable – Shoulder
Norman Powell: Out – Groin
Nikola Jovic: Out – Back
Trevor Keels: Available – G League
Jahmir Young: Available – G League
Vlad Goldin: Available – G League
Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team
NETS
Nic Claxton: Probable – Thumb
Egor Demin: Out – Foot
QUOTABLE
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra: “Regardless of the scheme is, I always go back to that, it’s just about committing to doing hard things. We were really moving in the zone, taking away airspace and scrambling to challenge shots at the rim. In a lot of these losses in the last month we’ve just been giving up shots at the rim and threes.”
For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.
Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
ORLANDO, Fla. — Lionel Messi scored twice in a four-goal second half, defender Telasco Segovia added a goal and two assists and defending champion Inter Miami CF rallied to beat Orlando City SC 4-2 on Sunday night, winning for the first time at Inter&Co Stadium.
Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to tie it 2-2, and Segovia scored unassisted in the 85th for the lead. Messi put the finishing touch on the victory when he scored off a free kick in the 90th.
“The victory belongs exclusively to the players,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game. “In the second half, they were a championship team. There were no tactics, nothing like that. There was heart, courage, possession, resilience, commitment. I think the team came out because they were champions last year.
“In the end, the players showed it. This victory is theirs.”
Messi’s first two goals of the season give him 52 in his first 55 regular-season MLS matches — 51 of them in his past 49 appearances. It also brought the reigning MLS MVP to 898 career goals scored, including 672 for Barcelona and 115 for Argentina.
“He’s the best player to ever play this sport. He’s a leader, and as a leader, he inspires others, but he also often needs to be inspired himself,” Mascherano said of Messi. “When he was driving forward, he had more attacking options, and with so many opportunities, he clearly has the ability to create chances like no one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”
Marco Pašalić took a pass from Iván Angulo and scored in the 18th minute to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead. Pašalić has scored in four straight matches against Inter Miami.
Defender Griffin Dorsey set up Martín Ojeda for a goal six minutes later for a 2-0 advantage that stood through halftime.
Inter Miami cut it to 2-1 four minutes into the second half on Mateo Silvetti’s first career goal. Defenders Segovia and Facundo Mura had assists as the 20-year-old forward found the net in his fifth career appearance.
Segovia had eight goals and six assists as a rookie last season, while Mura collected his first assist in his first season.
Dayne St. Clair, the reigning goalkeeper of the year, turned away three shots — all in the second half of his second start with Inter Miami, but let in a soft goal for Orlando’s first.
Maxime Crépeau had four saves in his second start for Orlando City.
Teenager Colin Guske, 19, will miss Orlando City’s next match after the rookie picked up two yellow cards in his first start — the second one led to his exit in the 88th minute.
Inter Miami, which had never won in its previous nine trips to Orlando, was coming off a 3-0 road loss to LAFC.
Orlando City swept Inter Miami during the regular season last year and leads the all-time series 8-7-4.
Inter Miami plays D.C. United on Saturday at Audi Field. Orlando City is also on the road with a match against New York City FC.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.
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