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Cam Ward Broke A Historic College Football Record on Saturday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By J.C. Shelton | Last updated Dec 28, 2024 4:17 PM ET

Miami star quarterback Cam Ward is cemented in college football history books after breaking a historic record on Saturday.

The No. 14 Hurricanes met No. 18 Iowa State in the beloved Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. As Miami fought for its first 11-win season since 2003, Ward was chasing a college football record set in 2011.

An unranked recruit out of West Columbia, Texas, Ward's collegiate journey has featured an unique path. He played his first two seasons at Incarnate Word and amassed 6,904 passing yards with 71 passing touchdowns.

The 6-foot-2, 223-pound passer transferred to Washington State for his next two seasons and put up similar numbers, including 6,968 passing yards and 48 passing touchdowns.

But Ward was still flying under the radar. That changed quickly when he elected to transfer to Miami, as the Hurricanes put together a 10-2 year and narrowly missed the College Football Playoff.

It's hard to imagine where Miami would have been in 2024 without an All-American year from Ward, who was also named the ACC Player of the Year and took home the Davey O'Brien Award.

Ward amassed the second-most passing yards in the country (4,123) and the most passing touchdowns (36). Those numbers are the most in a single-season by a Miami quarterback in program history.

But, most notably, his first touchdown against the Cyclones broke the record for the most career passing touchdowns in Division I college football history (156). The Hurricanes were down by seven in the first quarter when Ward found Jacolby George in the end zone for the meaningful score.

The record was previously held by former Houston quarterback Case Keenum, who threw 155 touchdowns for the Cougars from 2007-11.

Ward's collegiate career will end with the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Considered as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft, fans should see Ward take the field on Sundays moving forward.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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