Cam Ward passed for 404 yards and three touchdowns, leading the eighth-ranked Miami Hurricanes to a 50-15 win over the host South Florida Bulls on Saturday night in Tampa, Fla.
Miami (4-0) also got three short touchdown runs and a two-point-conversion reception from Damien Martinez.
Hurricanes wide receiver Isaiah Horton caught one TD pass. Miami also got a 91-yard touchdown run from freshman Jordan Lyle, who scored with 3:09 left in the game.
Ward, who many consider a candidate for the Heisman Trophy, completed 24 of 34 passes. He threw one interception, which was initially bobbled by Hurricanes wideout Jacolby George before being picked off.
Horton led Miami’s receivers with eight catches for 108 yards. Xavier Restrepo had six catches for 99 yards and one touchdown, and Samuel Brown had two grabs for 75 yards and one score.
USF (2-2) led twice in the first half before wearing down. Quarterback Byrum Brown completed 19 of 30 passes for 254 yards for the Bulls. He also caught a 12-yard TD pass. However, he limped off the field in the second half and didn’t return.
USF also got the first career field goals by freshman Nico Gramatica (58- and 51-yarders). He is the son of Martin Gramatica, who was a Pro Bowl kicker.
Miami took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards on seven plays. Martinez capped the drive with his 2 yard touchdown run. USF answered with Gramatica’s 58-yard field goal.
USF cornerback Brent Austin intercepted the deflected pass intended for George and that led to a short field. The Bulls converted with a trick play as receiver Sean Atkins tossed the 12-yard TD pass to Brown. The extra point was blocked, and USF led 9-7.
Miami closed the first-quarter scoring with Ward’s 6-yard TD pass on a slant pattern by Horton. That capped an eight-play, 90-yard drive and gave the Hurricanes a 14-9 lead.
USF took a 15-14 lead on an impressive, 19-play, 66-yard drive, which lasted 8:30, that led to John Cannon’s 45-yard field goal.
But Miami came back with a 76-yard TD pass to Brown, who outraced USF’s defenders down the left sideline. Ward flipped a two-point conversion pass to Martinez to take a 22-15 lead.
Miami dominated the third quarter with the period’s only points on a pair of Martinez TD runs, giving the Hurricanes a 36-15 lead.
The Hurricanes then poured it on in the fourth quarter with two more touchdowns.
