Fans will have one more chance to watch Cam Ward orchestrate the nation’s No. 1 offense when No. 13 Miami plays No. 18 Iowa State in Saturday’s Pop-Tarts Bowl at Orlando, Fla.
Ward, the fourth-place finisher for this year’s Heisman Trophy and a likely top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, confirmed earlier this month that he will play. He told Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in a viral video that “you’re going to see the best thing that ever happened in the Pop-Tart(s) Bowl. … Them ‘Canes baby.”
Of the teams that didn’t make the College Football Playoff, Miami and Iowa State are the highest-ranked programs playing each other. It is their first meeting.
“The intensity will be high. Both teams really want this,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “And the competition and the caliber of athlete and player on the field is going to be awesome.
“So, it means a lot to (us). And I’m sure it means a lot to Iowa State as well.”
Said Cyclones coach Matt Campbell: “It’s certainly a great opportunity for Iowa State football. And we have great respect for everything they stand for.”
The Hurricanes boast a high-powered offense that ranked No. 1 in the nation in points (44.2) and total yards (538.3) per game in the regular season.
Ward, a transfer from Washington State, set multiple single-season school records, throwing for 4,123 yards and 36 touchdowns while completing 67.4 percent of his attempts and tossing seven interceptions.
Ward’s top receiver, All-American Xavier Restrepo, hasn’t said whether he will play in the bowl game, while running back Damien Martinez, a fellow senior also expected to be drafted, has announced that he will.
The ‘Canes enter with a 10-2 record — only the second time in 20 years they recorded double-digit wins in the regular season — but lost two of their final three games, at Georgia Tech and at Syracuse, and consequently a spot in the Atlantic Coast Championship Game.
That largely was due to their defense, which surrendered 42 points in the final three quarters against the Orange and 271 rushing yards to the Yellow Jackets.
Iowa State (10-3), which doesn’t have any reported opt-outs, won 10 games for the first time in school history, reaching the Big 12 Championship, where it lost to Arizona State 45-19. Its other losses were a one-point home defeat to Texas Tech and a 45-36 setback at Kansas.
“Obviously, I think you’re in unchartered territory for Iowa State football,” Campbell said of winning 10 games. “Anytime you’ve got a chance to put an exclamation point on some of those things, it’s powerful.”
Campbell said the senior class is “maybe one of the most special groups we’ve coached here,” adding, “to send them out the right way would be great for Iowa State football.”
Rocco Becht has completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 3,235 yards and 22 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are the first duo in school history, and the only pair nationally this season, with 1,000 yards each. Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III each rushed for more than 500 yards.
Iowa State’s defense allowed only 21.5 points per game — the Cyclones are 6-0 when giving up fewer than 20 — and is highlighted by defensive tackles J.R. Singleton and Domonique Orange, as well as defensive backs Beau Freyler and Malik Verden, the team’s top two tacklers. The Cyclones intercepted 14 passes and recovered eight fumbles.
“They’re really explosive on offense,” Cristobal said. “And they’ve always played great defense. … Very disciplined, very hard-nosed, very tough and very physical.”
