In a very real, alternate universe, the Miami Hurricanes are 4-2 and 0-2 in ACC play with big losses to Virginia Tech and Cal. That surely would quiet the noise surrounding the program, delisting them as one of the premier programs in the game this year.
That's not the case, though. In both games, Miami stormed back from 10-plus point deficits to win in thrilling, although controversial, fashion. From winning despite being down 34-24 in the late third quarter to Virginia Tech to coming back from a 38-18 deficit in the fourth quarter against Cal, you truly can't count out these Miami Hurricanes.
Much of this involves a drastic improvement in play from the first half of games to the second half. In both contests, Miami gifted their opponents with unnecessary turnovers early, sending them into a hole. Cam Ward, often trying to make too much happen, has made adjustments in-game to limit his turnovers and poor decision-making.
In the second half of the game against Virginia Tech, Miami had four offensive drives. The first one ended in an interception when the Hurricanes were driving in Hokies territory. The last three drives? Touchdowns.
Colin Coward & Joel Klatt talking about Cam Ward pic.twitter.com/dtrzpiLTQU
— NMD Grant (@NMDgrant) October 10, 2024
Similarly against Cal, Miami had seven offensive drives in the second half. The first one also ended in an interception, with this one being taken back for six. The subsequent drive ended in a punt. The final five drives? Four touchdowns and a game-sealing kneel-down.
Cam Ward and this Miami team don't lay down when it feels like the game is over. They battle back and lock in to deliver their best drives of the game late. It seems as though they perform better under adversity when there's a legitimate chance the game could be lost.
The defense deserves a lot of credit as well. Against Virginia Tech and Cal, they gave up a lot of big plays early. In the second half against Virginia Tech, they held the Hokies to just 10 points on five offensive drives.
Miami held Cal to 10 points in the second half on six drives. Cal scored seven points off a Cam Ward pick-six. Miami scored 29 points in the second half. At one point, Cal had a 98.9 percent chance to win, according to the ESPN Win Probability rating.
Even that wasn't enough to stop the Miami Hurricanes. There are a lot of words that can be used to describe this Hurricanes team. Relentless. Legitimate. Contenders. But the one word that defines them best through the early portion of the ACC schedule is resilient.