Sports

Mario Cristobal Accused Of Throwing Cam Ward Under The Bus After Pop-Tarts Bowl Exit

#Miami Hurricanes
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Miami football coach Mario Cristobal pictured beside QB Cam Ward.

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The Miami Hurricanes fell in the Pop-Tarts Bowl to Iowa State over the weekend, 42-41. After the game, many were critical of quarterback Cam Ward.

Ward was removed from action after the halftime break. He wasn’t injured. The reason for his exit was unclear.

The timing of the departure was interesting. In the first half, Ward broke the NCAA Division I record for touchdown passes. The previous mark had been held by Case Keenum. Ward topped the 155-score total with his third TD pass in the first quarter.

The gunslinger then stayed in the game for the entirety of the second quarter before being taken out. But why?

Some suggested that he’d only played for selfish reasons as he pursued that touchdown record. Others said he took his NFL Draft stock into consideration.

Miami led 31-28 when Cam Ward left the game. The Hurricanes were outscored 14-10 in the second half. Ultimately, the decision proved costly as the offense failed to get anything going with its starting signal caller on the sidelines.

After the game, Mario Cristobal addressed the move. He avoided taking any blame, leading most to believe that the decision was Ward’s.

“I think all meetings with players and decisions like that, we make them in private and we keep them private. So, I’ll defer not to answer any questions as regards as it relates to that. But I know he played his best while he was in there, and certainly Emory tried his best as well… We just came up short.”

-Mario Cristobal

Did Mario Cristobal hang Cam Ward out to dry?

Ward shouldered the brunt of the criticism, but some in the media are now accusing Cristobal of throwing his superstar under the bus. They suggest that the halftime removal was the plan all along. The head coach just wouldn’t admit it.

Andy Staples of On3 Sports says Cristobal had too much confidence in his team’s ability to win, even with Cam Ward on the bench. In the end, it backfired.

“They probably agreed that [Cam Ward] was going to play a half, then they were going Emory Williams, and then Mario Cristobal didn’t want to admit to that plan after it cost them the game…” 

No one truly knows what happened behind the scenes thanks to Mario Cristobal’s deflection. Was the decision Cam Ward’s? Was it determined prior to kickoff, and if so, why?

Cristobal’s refusal to clarify the situation ignited a firestorm of negative reaction. It’s certainly not the publicity Ward wanted ahead of the NFL Draft.