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

Ward started the Pop-Tarts Bowl and proceeded to shred Iowa State’s top-five pass defense, throwing for 190 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. He did so even without three of his starting receivers, including Miami’s all-time receptions leader Xavier Restrepo, who had opted out.

Ward, who is considered to be one of the top prospects in the 2025 NFL draft, started off strong against No. 18 Iowa State in Orlando, Florida. He broke Case Keenum's career record with three touchdown passes in the first half while throwing for 190 yards on 12-of-19 passes.