Miami Hurricanes grab South Florida Bulls by the horns in road win

Miami, Florida – For the second straight year the Miami Hurricanes start the season 4-0 after outplaying the South Florida Bulls 50-15 on primetime Saturday. In a contest characterized by numerous injury timeouts and nearly two dozen penalties, UM adjusted to the Bulls’ high-tempo offense containing Byrum Brown and holding USF to a touchdown. Miami’s offense kept on rolling with 574 total yards.

Cam Ward told the defense where they were going …

They still scored 😅 @CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/Qmd3qD6A89

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) September 22, 2024

Cam Ward picked up where he left off throwing for 404 yards and three touchdowns. Ward’s lone interception midway through the first quarter was due to wide receiver Jacolby George making the catch but failing to secure the ball as it slipped out of his hands and into the arms of Brent Austin. South Florida cashed in via a double reverse catching the unsuspecting secondary by surprise. It proved to be their only visit to the endzone.

Yes, the competition has been modest, but through four games, the calmness and pocket awareness of Cam Ward have been better this year.

His willingness to limit the Houdini-like and turnover worthy plays by simply finding his check downs have helped him (so far) this year. pic.twitter.com/sU4eTSd3z3

— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) September 22, 2024

Isaiah Horton had a terrific evening recording eight receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Restrepo nearly crossed the centennial mark producing 99 yards on six catches including a TD. Samuel Brown also contributed with a pair of catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Damien Martinez generated three rushing TDs. Jordan Lyle, meanwhile, had six carries for 104 yards including an explosive 91-yard touchdown run late in the game. Miami was seven of 10 on third down and a perfect five-for-five in the red zone. The defense shut out the Bulls in the second half nabbing two interceptions, holding USF to 62 rushing yards complementing the effort with four sacks. Both teams committed 11 penalties. UM begins conference play on Friday hosting Virginia Tech.

TAKE IT TO THE HOUSE JORDAN! 🏡💪

📺: ESPNEWS#GoCanes pic.twitter.com/1V58Dl0h0h

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) September 22, 2024

Takeaways

The defense adapted

The Hurricanes looked unprepared the first two quarters, locked in a fierce back-and-forth testing the unit’s football IQ and stamina. USF brought two things the Canes hadn’t seen yet this season: a high-tempo offense and a QB that can run.  In the aftermath of Ward’s interception, the secondary was caught sleeping on a trick play that raised the opposition’s morale. The penalties didn’t help either. With less than 10 minutes left in the half, Miami was called for an illegal substitution that negated fourth down. On the same drive, Tyler Baron committed a personal foul (illegal use of hands) putting the Bulls in the red zone. South Florida’s possession was so rapid that the Hurricanes were forced to call a timeout giving needed respite.

SIMEON BARROW JR GETS THE SACK!!! pic.twitter.com/GU9CdNrKdR

— NMD Grant (@NMDgrant) September 22, 2024

Fortunately, Miami came up big thanks to Simeon Barrow sacking Brown after he was out one play due to injury. The turn of events ultimately forced the Bulls to settle for a 45-yard field goal. In the waning minutes of the half, the group once more bent but didn’t break. Blown coverage on a simple screen pass on 3rd and 16 saw USF march deep into Hurricanes territory. However, Jaden Harris was the next to step right up with a huge stop forcing another field goal. The third and fourth quarters saw the necessary changes resulting in the Bulls’ offense being completely shut down. They never saw the endzone again.

Isaiah Horton shined

I have to give a lot of credit to the redshirt sophomore. For those who may not remember, the portal acquisition of Sam Brown bumped down Horton in the depth chart. However, this didn’t stop Isaiah who stood ready to contribute in a crowded field. Playing the best game of his fledgling college career, the wide receiver’s attitude is an example of how an individual takes on adversity. His team-first attitude is part of a noticeable culture change at Coral Gables. He clicked with Ward catching eight of nine targets and now has something to build on. Inconsistency plagued him last season so Horton knows there’s work to be done.

Cam Ward lofts it to Isaiah Horton pic.twitter.com/7dhAbxQZas

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) September 22, 2024

Moving forward I expect to see more of him, especially with the performance. His teammate has done a good job spreading the ball around so he’ll likely get some targets versus the Hokies.

Cam Ward overcame early miscues

Like the defense, Miami’s premiere signal-caller adjusted to counter the opponent. The first half saw Ward overthrow his open receivers but that all changed in the twilight of the second quarter. Late in the third quarter, Cam showed his accuracy keeping the drive alive with terrific catches by Restrepo and Horton culminating in Martinez’s third rushing TD. If this wasn’t the dagger, Mishael Powell’s interception with 13:20 remaining was it. Regarding Ward’s interception, South Florida was very fortunate on George’s ballhandling miscue making the pick an outlier.

1 ➡️ 11 🎯

📺: ESPN#GoCanes pic.twitter.com/PDMylXgMqL

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) September 22, 2024

Overall, Cam Ward is building a strong case for the Heisman Award. He’s accumulated 1,439 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and two INTs through four games in 2024. Those are finalist numbers at the very least. I know it’s early but find someone with better stats.

Photo by Amped Up Sports.