Will Miami Run The Football More With Cam Ward At Quarterback?

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal does not shy away from wanting his offensive line to impose its will on opponents and dominate.

That does not mean the Canes resemble Michigan’s offense either. The Wolverines ran 32 consecutive times versus Penn State last season. Miami is far more balanced through two seasons with Cristobal at the helm.

Cristobal’s teams should be considered balanced. Here are the run-to-pass percentages ( CFB Stats ):

2022: From 825 plays, 412 rushes for 49.99% and 413 passes for 50.01%.

2023: From 876 plays, 440 rushes for 50.23% and 436 passes for 49.77%.

With quarterback Cam Ward transferring from Washington State to The U, will Miami air it out more? Ward's 2023 passing statistics include 3,736 yards and 25 touchdowns. There are still a few factors beyond Ward to consider before accurately answering the question.

First, this is the deepest and most talented defensive line in recent Miami football history. It’s not inconceivable that the Hurricanes will not only score more with Ward’s right arm but also dominate more teams with their defensive front.

Thus, some healthy margins of victory will likely be secured before going into the fourth quarter.

Then, Miami may bleed the clock with the run game during the final stanza. For that reason alone, it’s conceivable that Miami does run the ball more than it did during Cristobal’s first two seasons in Coral Gables. There’s also the factor of Miami’s offensive line talent.

As pointed out in yesterday’s article defining what offensive line coach Alex Mirabal said at his press conference , there is a lot of talent and depth for him to work with. Here’s a quote from Mirabal about the topic:

“We have eight or nine guys right now, that can compete on a Saturday.”

Looking at Miami’s 2024 football schedule helps to paint the picture for why this season’s offensive line could feast.

Outside of the Aug. 31 matchup at Florida, the Oct. 19 road trip to Louisville, and the Oct. 26 game at home versus Florida State, there probably will not be a defensive front capable of truly taking away UM’s rushing attack without over-committing defenders in the box and exposing the rest of the defense to Ward and talented receivers like Jacolby George and Xavier Restrepo.

That’s not to say the other teams are bad on defense, but Miami should have one of college football’s best offensive lines. There’s also no Clemson or North Carolina State on Miami’s 2024 schedule. That leads to a great situation for the Canes.

This could be Miami’s best rushing attack in years even if it throws more than it runs. The yards per carry should be good, and so should the conversion rate on those important third down and short situations, among other statistics.

Just from the two above reasons, it’s conceivable that the Hurricanes technically run the football more than they pass it. That’s okay. If the rushing attack is flourishing, it also means Ward is going to throw the football more often when he wants to instead of when he needs to.

That’s winning football. Ward being able to take deep shots during a second down and four with a play-action pass is a great way to light up the scoreboard.

Miami should run the football more this season. It will also mean Ward has a great statistical year because of the run game setting up the passing attack.