Cam Ward to Jacolby George sent Gator fans to the exits to start the season.
Here at State of the U, we’re rolling out our season-ending awards this week, and when I saw this as an option, I had to jump all over it.
For most quarterbacks who find themselves in New York City as a Heisman Trophy finalist, they have a “Heisman moment” sometimes in the later stages of the season that propels them towards the award.
For Cam Ward, it came in a Week 1 41-17 total destruction of the Florida Gators at the Swamp, and it was the moment that turned out to be the most incredible and euphoric of the season for the Miami Hurricanes.
With Miami leading 31-10 late in the third quarter and facing a 3rd and 11 just outside of the red zone, Cam Ward took the snap and faced pressure quickly. Just before getting tackled, he spun out and rolled to the left side of the field. He geared up and let a rope fly against his body into the end zone. There was Jacolby George running a deep crossing route into the back of the end zone.
Touchdown. Dagger. Ballgame. If there was a scintilla of concern remaining, it left immediately in that moment.
CAM WARD TO JACOLBY GEORGE
TD CANES pic.twitter.com/wnYlTgDx1K
— NMD Grant (@NMDgrant) August 31, 2024
Obviously, the cherry on top was the aftermath of the play. George and Isaiah Horton chomped away at the fans in front of them while a soon-to-be-heavily-memed Florida defender ended up sitting in the hedges.
It was just perfect. The start – which encapsulated Ward’s escapeability and gunslinger skillset at its finest – was amazing. The throw was made with incredible anticipation between defenders. The catch, made. The celebration, hilarious.
As much as Florida fans are now trying to re-write the teams’ seasons and argue they’d win now at the end of the season – a HILARIOUSLY hypocritical thing since they ripped on Tennessee fans for doing that every single season for years – this game, indeed, happened. Miami owned the state of Florida in 2024 and holds bragging rights for the offseason.
And no moment was more awe-inspiring and hilarious than Cam to Jacolby in the Swamp.
Go Canes!