Ward, Restrepo set records as No. 5 Miami Hurricanes rally to beat Duke and improve to 9-0
Sometimes, Mario Cristobal watches in awe with the way the relationship between Cam Ward and Xavier Restrepo has grown over the course of the season. They are two of the Miami Hurricanes’ fiercest leaders, one (Ward) in his first and final season with the program and the other (Restrepo) in his fifth and final campaign with the team.
They’ve bonded over success, mistakes, desires to prove doubters wrong.
And, above all, finding ways to get the other one to maximize the other’s potential.
“It’s neat to watch them go at it,” Cristobal said, “because they’ll fight like an old couple, and that’s a good thing. That means there is a competitive edge to both of those guys where they want to win. They want to be right all the time and they are not afraid to be headstrong and to be an alpha about it. That’s what you see. You see it on the practice field. You see it in extra reps after practice. And then, in turn, on gameday, it shows up.”
It showed up again on Saturday, with Ward and Restrepo putting up performances that landed them in the Hurricanes’ record book as they helped lead No. 5 Miami to a 53-31 comeback win over the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium to keep the team’s perfect record intact.
Ward threw for 400 yards and five touchdowns, including three in the second half to help Miami (9-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) erase an 11-point deficit. Restrepo caught eight passes for 146 yards and three of those five touchdowns.
The final of those connections — a 66-yard touchdown pass that put Miami ahead 46-31 with 7:36 left in regulation— led to history for Ward and Restrepo.
It was Ward’s 29th touchdown pass of the season. That ties Steve Walsh’s record from the 1988 season for most passing touchdowns in a season by a Hurricane.
It was Restrepo’s 182nd career reception, tying the Hurricanes record originally set by Mike Harley.
And it gave Restrepo 2,573 yards, surpassing Santana Moss’ record of 2,547 yards for most career receiving yards in Hurricanes history.
It was only fitting that they hit their feats together, on one play, considering how their bond has lifted this team on so many occasions already this season.
“In this short amount of time, I feel like we’re just continuing to grow each and every single day,” Restrepo said. “We haven’t spent three, four years together; we’ve spent eight months together, nine months together. So I think each and every single day our relationship is continuing to grow. He’s understanding me more. I’m understanding him a lot more.”
Added Ward: “Just the type of receiver and person that he is, I would say [has paid dividends]. You’re talking about somebody who’s always in the film room with me, who knows how I want specific routes. He’s a savvy receiver.”
The chemistry wasn’t always there. Not at the start.
Ward recalled how the duo had “a spread of consistent days” when they struggled to connect on plays at the start of fall camp. Sometimes it was Ward’s fault with bad throws. Sometimes it was Restrepo with a busted route. They were still figuring out each other’s tendencies. That takes time.
But eventually, things finally clicked.
It has shown throughout the season, and it showed on Saturday.
Restrepo also caught touchdown passes of 34 yards in the first quarter, hauling in a pass that was tipped by Duke safety Terry Moore, to put Miami up 7-0 early and a 3-yard pass in the third quarter to start Miami’s rally. It was his first career three-touchdown game.
On the season, Restrepo has 51 catches for 856 yards and nine touchdowns. He is the first Hurricanes receiver to have at least 850 receiving yards in multiple seasons.
“What you’re seeing with me and X right now is just us prospering,” Ward said, “because we’re on the same page every game, but we’ve got a lot more work to do.”
In addition to his touchdown passes to Restrepo, Ward also threw touchdown passes to Cam McCormick and Jacolby George on Saturday for his second five-touchdown passing game of the season. Elija Lofton’s 2-yard touchdown run following an OJ Frederique interception (one of three interceptions and four total turnovers forced by Miami’s defense) gave the Hurricanes the lead for good late in the third quarter.
A Mark Fletcher Jr. 1-yard touchdown run with 5:37 left to play capped scoring for Miami.
It’s the third time in conference play that Miami had to erase a double-digit deficit in the second half. The Hurricanes trailed Virginia Tech by 10 before winning 38-34 and coming back from down 25 to defeat Cal.
“They know they are capable, that’s No. 1” Cristobal said of the team’s ability to rally for wins. “There’s a lot of trust and confidence in each other. No. 2, I mean, football now, especially with technology, the cat and mouse game, the adjustment back and forth game, is really different. It’s a whole new level. ... There’s just no flinch in the group regardless of a bad play, an injury, a tough call we have to deal with, a deficit.”
This time, the second-half magic was needed because of how Miami struggled to close out the first half.
The Hurricanes jumped out to a 14-0 lead on Ward’s touchdown passes to Restrepo and McCormick in the first quarter. Miami’s defense held Duke (6-3, 2-3 ACC) to just 5 yards on its first three drives, a pair of three-and-outs and a first-play interception by safety Mishael Powell, as UM built that early lead.
And then...
▪ 83 yards on four plays in 55 seconds, capped by a 8-yard Peyton Jones touchdown run. Miami’s lead cut to 14-7. The first three plays of that drive included gains of 21, 27 and 27 yards.
▪ 77 yards on eight plays in 4:31, capped by a 27-yard touchdown pass from Maalik Murphy to Sahmir Hagans. Duke and Miami tied 14-14. A 40-yard pass from Murphy to Jones three plays earlier helped set up the touchdown.
▪ 75 yards on seven plays in 3:04, capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Murphy to Jones. Duke leads 21-17. Before the go-ahead score, though, the Hurricanes’ defense committed three penalties in a span of the drive’s first four plays — holding by defensive tackle Justin Scott, unnecessary roughness by defensive tackle Ahmad Moten and pass interference by cornerback Daryl Porter Jr. — to help Duke get down the field on its final full drive before halftime.
The Blue Devils extended their lead to 28-17 on the opening drive of the third quarter with a 6-yard pass from Murphy to Jordan Moore on fourth and 1 that capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive.
And then came Miami’s latest rally for a conference win to keep its perfect record intact — and see history made in the process.
“The most important thing is that we’re undefeated,” Restrepo said. “The most important thing right now is team success. Without any of the team success, none of [the individual records] would matter at all.”
This story was originally published November 2, 2024 at 3:45 PM.
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