‘We’ve got to rise to the occasion’: Why QB Cam Ward believes Hurricanes can win in Gainesville

Cam Ward keeps all his gamedays the same. He eats breakfast, goes to the stadium, puts on some music — rap artists like Rod Wave, YoungBoy Never Broke Again and G Herbo are among his favorites — and gets ready for the game, whether it is on the road or at home.

Ward is going to be thrown into the deep end in his first start with the Hurricanes. They face off against rival Florida in Gainesville at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday in what is expected to be a raucous environment.

“I just do what I do, be Cameron Ward, and at the end of the day, I’ve just got to be a good communicator to the guys in the huddle, be a good teammate and just put the ball in play,” Ward said.

Ward is no stranger to big road games. While at Washington State, Ward and the Cougars traveled to several big road environments. Ward cited Oregon, Washington, USC and Wisconsin as particularly loud stadiums.

“He’s played in a lot of big games; he’s played in some venues that are tough,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “He understands that where we’re going is going to be challenging. The more I talk to him is just about clear communication. He’s got to communicate everything. It’s going to be loud; we get that. But everything’s got to be communicated in a certain way, calmly. If we communicate with the 11 guys on the field and everybody’s on the same page, (I) feel really good.”

Ward did not perform much differently on the road or at home last year. At home last year, he threw for an average of 277 yards per game with a 69 percent completion percentage, notching 13 touchdowns with two interceptions. On the road, Ward had 12 touchdowns with five picks, while averaging about 345 yards per game on 65 percent passing. Pro Football Focus gave him a 71 offensive grade at home and 70.3 on the road.

The stats show that Ward performs well, without significant changes in production, in different situations.

“My mindset will never change, whether I throw 20 touchdowns or 20 picks,” Ward said. “My mindset is never going to change. I’m a gunslinger. That’s just what I do. So continue to be a leader for the team, continue to put guys in situations that they can be successful and get the ball to the playmakers.”

The biggest difference: Ward went 4-2 at home and 1-5 on the road. But two of those Washington State road losses were against former Pac-12 powers Oregon and Washington, the national runner-up. One loss was against 8-5 UCLA, while the others were against sub-.500 teams, Arizona State and Cal.

But last year’s Washington State team is not as good as this year’s Miami team, and Ward believes he has gotten better since arriving.

“I think I’ve made strides as a communicator,” Ward said. “From learning different ways to maneuver throughout the huddle, especially how we’ve been practicing. You have to be able to communicate with guys on the fly.”

Communication will be key on Saturday, as Miami will be using a newly allowed in-helmet communication system so Dawson can tell Ward the play from the sideline. The challenge will be hearing the play call with about 90,000 screaming Gators fans trying to make life difficult for Ward and the Hurricanes.

“It’s easier to get the play in and out of the huddle to play faster, especially tempo teams,” Ward said. “They’ll be able to play a lot faster than how they have. I like it. It’s good. It’s still hard to hear at certain times, but we’ll still have signals just like everybody else in the country. At the end of the day, you’ve just got to communicate on the sideline and in the huddle. If we do that, everything will take care of itself.”

Ward’s debut is hotly anticipated and is a reason many Hurricanes fans are feeling hopeful about the 2024 campaign. With just a couple of days to go until his UM debut, Ward believes he is ready.

“I feel good from a preparation standpoint, from a communication standpoint,” Ward said. “I find myself and the team in a good situation. We get a chance to go play Florida at home. Playing there is not an easy thing to do, so we’re up for a challenge. We’ve got to rise to the occasion.”