Cam Ward stars for Hurricanes, puts Gators, fans on notice - ESPN

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Quarterback Cam Ward made his way toward the Miami tunnel, green-and-orange clad Hurricanes fans screaming to get his attention.

Coach Mario Cristobal stopped him, then directed him to a large contingent that was hollering behind their bench the entire game so Ward could wave and high five.

Nobody could blame the Hurricanes for lingering on the field postgame or for Cristobal for wanting his players to salute the fans. This win meant just a little bit more, on the road, against an in-state rival, in a stadium where Miami last won 22 years ago.

Ward was easily the biggest difference maker in a dominant 41-17 win over Florida on Saturday, a statement that all the hype surrounding the Hurricanes over the last nine months was well deserved. By the third quarter, chants of «Let's Go Canes» could be heard in the Swamp.

When the day began, over 90,000 fans filled the seats, but Ward quieted them with his escapability, smarts, and laser-like accuracy, throwing for 385 yards — the most in a debut in program history — three touchdowns and one interception.

Afterward, clearly perturbed that one of the biggest storylines entering the game was that the Canes never had played in an environment that loud before, Ward had a message for Gator fans.

«I played at USC,» said Ward, who transferred to Miami from Washington State. «USC wasn't packed, but it was louder than this. I played in Oregon, it was louder than this. The Pac-12 gets misspoken for. Some advice to the fans: If you're going to be loud, you have to be loud when we're huddling. Can't just be loud once we break the huddle. By that time, there's no point. We hear the play. We communicated already. But it was a good atmosphere to play in. And I'm just excited