A closer look at Cam Ward's two performances against Cal (and what he needs to improve on)

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward is well versed in the challenge that lies ahead as he travels across the country to Berkley to face the California Bears.

During his time at Washington State, Ward faced Cal the last two years and went 1-1 in those matchups.

In this article, we'll take a closer look at Ward's performances in these games.

The 2023 Washington State-California game was a Week 11 matchup in Berkley between two teams competing for bowl eligibility, including a 4-5 Cougars team and a 3-6 Bears team. Washington State entered the game on a five-game losing streak.

Ward finished the game throwing for 354 yards with three touchdowns to go and one interception. He was sacked five times in the game and totaled six rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. He also fumbled the ball three times on the California defense.

Ward got off to a rough start and fumbled the ball on Washington State's first possession of the game. The ball was recovered by Cal linebacker Cade Uluave and returned for a 51-yard touchdown to give the Bears a quick 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.

The fumble problems continued in the second quarter when Ward lost the ball while taking an 18-yard sack, recovering the ball again from Uluave to give California possession at the WSU 10-yard line . With just over three minutes left in the second quarter, the Bears took a 28-14 lead.

Ward managed to lead a touchdown drive just before halftime, putting the Cougars behind 28-21 early in the second half.

Entering the fourth quarter, Washington State trailed Cal 28-24. The Cougars missed a 42-yard field goal, potentially tying the game early in the quarter, and the Bears went down and scored a touchdown on their next possession, giving them a 35-24 lead.

Ward fumbled again in the fourth quarter, a costly turnover that was returned for a touchdown Nohl Williamsto give the Bears a 42-24 lead with just under ten minutes to play. Ward led two quick touchdown drives over the next five minutes of the game, defeating the Cougars 42-39. Washington State put together a drive that ended with a missed 48-yard field goal to potentially tie the game, and WSU had another possession with just 22 seconds left in the game that ended with one Interception on a long pass attempt ended.

Overall, Ward's performance in the Cal game was marred by costly fumbles that led to defensive touchdowns and an inefficient performance passing the ball. He averaged six yards per attempt on 59 attempts, a number that represents his career high at the FBS level.

The Cal defense did a good job forcing Ward to be patient as a passer and be willing to accept short passes while playing at a deficit for most of the game. According to Pro Football Focus, Ward completed 25 of 31 attempts for 199 yards with a touchdown on passes shorter than nine yards beyond the line of scrimmage, accounting for 52 percent of his attempts on the Dya.

In the intermediate passing game (passes that traveled between ten and 19 yards beyond the line of scrimmage), Ward completed 8 of 16 attempts for 134 yards and a touchdown. On deep drives, Ward completed one of seven attempts for a 21-yard touchdown and threw an interception at the end of the game.

The Wazzou offense owned the ball for 35:45 of the game, but converted only 5 of 15 third-down opportunities and scored a touchdown on 4 of 6 red zone trips. California has deprived WSU of the explosive element of the game, forcing it to average just five yards per play, protecting the football while running a greater number of plays.

Washington State outscored Cal 483 to 327 on the day, but ultimately the turnovers that led to defensive touchdowns and missed field goals on special teams were too much for the Cougars and Ward.

From a quarterback duel perspective, Ward went up against then-redshirt freshman Fernando Mendoza, who paced the game, going 14 of 21 for 150 yards and two touchdowns while picking up two sacks. Cal running back Jaydn Ott ran for 167 yards and a touchdown while also catching three passes for 18 yards and a touchdown.

In 2022, Ward and Washington State played a slightly cleaner game in Pullman, Washington, earning a 28-9 victory over Cal. Ward finished the game 27 of 40 for 343 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions while recording two sacks.

The flow of play for the 2022 match was much slower as Washington State scored its first touchdown of the game with 13:18 left in the second quarter. Ward had a costly turnover with 6:35 left in the second quarter and threw an interception in the end zone with WSU having the ball at the Cal 29-yard line in a 1st-and-10 situation.

Ward started the second half with a touchdown drive that gave WSU a 14-3 lead. On the next possession, Ward threw another interception in the red zone and threw another pick into the end zone on a 2nd-and-2 situation at the Cal 21-yard line.

Cal cut the game to 14-9 in the fourth quarter, but Ward immediately responded with a touchdown drive capped by a 37-yard strike to give the Cougars a 21-9 lead that the Bears couldn't overcome . Ward finished the game with another touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Ward attempted four deep throws against Cal and completed two of them for 84 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw two interceptions while trying to get the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. However, Ward mastered the intermediate passing game extremely well, completing 8 of 12 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown on attempts between ten and 19 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

Overall, Cal was unable to capitalize on the swings in momentum that accompanied Washington State's turnovers. If the Cougars had lost the turnover battle 2-0 and this game would have been an even bigger win. The Bears averaged just five yards per play on offense and 311 total yards.

The California head coach knows how to defend Ward. The Bears will try to force the aggressive quarterback to remain patient and move the ball methodically down the field. Protecting the football will be crucial Saturday night — and if Ward limits turnovers, Miami should be able to win the game.