Cam Ward's decision to only play the first half of Miami's 42-41 loss against Iowa State in this year's Pop-Tarts Bowl proved to be extremely

Miami Hurricanes head football coach Mario Cristobal is declining to explain why quarterback Cam Ward only played one half in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Ward only played the first half in Saturday’s match-up against Iowa State as the Hurricanes lost the game 42-41.

After missing out on the College Football Playoff, the Miami Hurricanes were unable to end the 2024 season on a high note. The Hurricanes fell to Iowa

Cam Ward watched from the sideline as Miami dropped their bowl game 42-41 to Iowa State. Ward played just a half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, recording 190 yards and three touchdowns. He broke the Division I career touchdown passes record during the matchup.

In the new age of college football with the 12-team playoff, there were concerns over whether the bowl games would still mean anything.

The two bowl games — the No. 23 Buffaloes’ Alamo Bowl matchup against No. 17 BYU and the Miami-Iowa State Pop-Tarts Bowl — featured the two top-rated quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. It was a surprise to many that both Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward played in their bowl games.

As great as Cam Ward's one and only season was at the University of Miami, it ended on a sour note. After narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoff, the Hurricanes settled for an appearance in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against Iowa State.