Everyone from Ringer NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay to College Football Hall of Fame head coach Steve Spurrier criticized the move, joining thousands of others on social media as Ward stood on the sidelines during the second half a 42-41 loss to Iowa State. From one perspective, it looked like a snap decision to opt out.

Cam Ward's decision to only play the first half of Miami's 42-41 loss against Iowa State in this year's Pop-Tarts Bowl proved to be extremely

Iowa State beat the Miami Hurricanes in the 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl. Cam Ward played the first half of his final college football game, throwing 3 TDs.

No. 13 UM (10-2) wraps up Year 3 of the Mario Cristobal era on Saturday in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against the No. 18 Iowa State Cyclones. Kickoff from Orlando’s Camping World Stadium is slated for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ABC.

Miami’s quarterback has drawn plenty of heat for sitting out the second half of Saturday’s Pop-Tarts Bowl — a game his Hurricanes lost by just one point — but he’s got at least one defender in former NFL quarterback-turned-analyst Robert Griffin III.

Cam Ward watched from the sideline as Miami dropped their bowl game 42-41 to Iowa State. Ward played just a half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, recording 190 yards and three touchdowns. He broke the Division I career touchdown passes record during the matchup.

In the new age of college football with the 12-team playoff, there were concerns over whether the bowl games would still mean anything.

The two bowl games — the No. 23 Buffaloes’ Alamo Bowl matchup against No. 17 BYU and the Miami-Iowa State Pop-Tarts Bowl — featured the two top-rated quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. It was a surprise to many that both Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward played in their bowl games.

As great as Cam Ward's one and only season was at the University of Miami, it ended on a sour note. After narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoff, the Hurricanes settled for an appearance in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against Iowa State.