The Canes lose yet another bowl game.
What a tough way to end the season. The Miami Hurricanes fell to the Iowa State Cyclones today in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, FL, 42-41. Cam Ward only played the first half, and Emory Williams couldn’t get anything going in the passing game after halftime. Miami is unable to achieve their first 11-win season since 2003.
Let’s get to the three stars of the game.
1. Cam Ward
The best player in college football this season only played the first half. Still, it was great to see Cam sling it around the field one last time in a Hurricanes uniform. The ACC Player of the Year finished 12-19 for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns. With his first TD pass to Jacolby George, Cam broke Case Keenum’s NCAA record for career touchdown passes. It is still so frustrating that Miami didn’t get into the CFP. They would’ve been much more entertaining than Indiana or SMU. (Deep sigh).
Cam Ward now has the most career passing touchdowns in Division 1 college football history
Not bad for a former 0️⃣⭐️ recruit. pic.twitter.com/EcRo9Y14Jo
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 28, 2024
2. The running game
Miami’s offensive line and running backs set a school record today for rushing yards in a bowl game with 308. Damien Martinez led the way with 179 yards on 14 carries, including a 75-yard touchdown run. His big day put him over 1,000 rushing yards for the season. Pretty cool. Mark Fletcher Jr. chipped in with 12 rushes for 62 yards and a touchdown, plus Jordan Lyle had 9 carries for 34 yards. With how Emory Williams looked in the second half, the running game better be better than ever in 2025.
75-YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN FOR DAMIEN MARTINEZ ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/KNloNX8GBs
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) December 28, 2024
3. Canes fans
I thought our fans were great all season long. I went to three road games (UF, USF, and GT) and there was a big Miami fan contingent at all of them. It looked like there was a nice amount of us in Orlando today as well. Cheers to all the dedicated people spending hard earned money to support the Miami Hurricanes football program.
Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Honorable mention:
Elijah Arroyo – The athletic tight end had a good performance to end his college career with 3 catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. If Arroyo tests great at the NFL Combine, he could easily be drafted in the first couple rounds.
Who were your three stars of the game? Let us know in the comments below.
GO CANES!