Cam Ward carries Hurricanes to victory with another Heisman performance

After his performance on Saturday at Louisville, Miami quarterback Cam Ward continues to be one of the best players in college football. Ward is tied with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty as the frontrunners in FanDuel's Heisman Trophy winner odds.

Ward put on a fantastic performance against the Cardinals on Saturday, lifting the Hurricanes despite a disappointing showing from the defense. The defense dealt with major tackling issues and was prone to allowing explosive plays, letting Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough finish the game with 342 yards, four touchdowns, and no turnovers.

This could have been a blowout loss for Miami in any other year. But with Cam Ward leading the team, the game resulted in an exciting shootout victory to keep the Canes undefeated. Ward made several incredible plays and helped his cause by not turning the ball over once.

There was a controversial reversal of a play where it appeared Ward fumbled, resulting in a Louisville scoop-and-score, but the refs determined his arm was moving forward. Outside of the near fumble, Ward was nearly perfect.

Ward's first TD pass was a rope to the corner of the end zone to Jacolby George, a play that mirrored his touchdown from the season opener in Gainsville. It wasn't an easy play, but it was made to look easy due to the incredible arm talent Ward showed off.

Ward again connected on an explosive play to Sam Brown Jr., hitting the receiver in stride as he took it the entire way for a 49-yard TD. That wasn't the only time Ward and Brown connected for a big play, as the two connected again later on for a 59-yard reception. Before that came arguably Ward's biggest throw of the game

Louisville scored two TDs quickly on a kickoff return and a shortened drive as a result of a Mark Fletcher Jr. fumble Ward connected downfield on a tough pass with Xavier Restrepo, whose catch-and-run down to the two-yard line went for 63 yards. A play after that, Miami was back on top with a touchdown pass to Isaiah Horton.

Ward did more than just with his arm. He converted one of the biggest plays of the game late with his legs. Up seven, faced with a third and 17 in Miami's end, Ward scrambled for 22 yards to pick up the first down and keep the drive going. The drive ended in a 30-yard TD run by Damien Martinez, putting Miami up two possessions.

Miami has faced adversity all year. Whether it's dealing with turnovers, rallying from down 20 in the fourth quarter, or outpacing an offense that's dominating your defense, Ward has overcome everything in his way and made it look easy. Ward is first nationally in passing yards and passing TDs, building his Heisman case every single week.