Cam Ward didn’t start Friday’s ACC game against the Virginia Tech as he should have. However, he took charge of the game at a dramatic juncture when his team wanted him to take, and the rest is history. After posting a third turnover of the game, Ward went for touchdown drives on the ‘Canes’ final three possessions in a breathtaking spree, filling out the 10 lack points in an unbelievable 38-34 win at Hard Rock Stadium. Ward, overall, ended the game with a 24 out of 38 passing for 343 yards, with four touchdowns and two interceptions, which validated the tag of his quintessential quarterback of the nation once again. Heck, the most intriguing thing was he could make it on the face of his Hokies standout QB Kyron Drones. An epic display of cousin rivalry!

After the scoreboard showcased a glaring 38-34 and the team came down to the field to let loose in the celebration, a content Ward might have breathed a sigh of relief thinking he could give his answer to the pre-game jibe to his cousin. Extending that Heisman energy to X, the Miami phenom posted a cheeky smile and a hand gesture emoji, a subtle counter dig to Drone’s hollow pride.

The contest didn’t just end there on the field. Before going into the stadium to see eye to eye with his familial opponent, Ward, Drones just reshuffled the bad blood between them through a cocky claim. “Cam’s going to see when we play Miami,” said Drone, ” just show him who the real No. 1 is“, puffing up the tension of a highly anticipated battle between the Ward and Drone households. Ward, 22, on the other hand, chose to say low-key and kept his fire close to his chest, like a real maestro, waiting patiently for his work to speak louder. ‘I’m just ready to play the game,’ said the Miami Quarterback before delivering a banger against the Hokies.

Ward has been instrumental in taking the Hurricanes to the top of their game with four consecutive wins.  His individual stats earned him an esteemed ranking of 94.4 (the second-best) in college football. All this great work does justice to his being favoured in the wide-open Heisman trophy battle for the year 2024. That said, the real battle is still familial, the urge to be the favourite kid in the family surpassing the age-old competitor, Kyron Drones.

The root of rivalry between Kyron Drones and Cam Ward: Revisited

Football has many stories brewing up on and off the field. One such story unfolded when two QBs who grew up together less than an hour from each other outside Houston came to know that they were cousins by their mothers’ genes when they were in high school. After reviving the lost connection between the two families, the players got into their own competitive net. Under coach Colbert, both the kids ground themselves in the gridiron but could never earn the same amount of spotlight. The air of competition remains constant.

”We definitely got closer as we started training together, it gets real competitive. Real talking trash and picking each other’s brain on how to get better. We’re all trying to get to that end goal, which is the NFL. Hopefully, we’re in the same draft together,” Drones explained the peak phase of their healthy conflict.

Now, with both being settled in their respective programs, the differences didn’t fade out. However, they settled the odds recently to come together for a noble initiative of launching a premier QB training program to help the young blood find their footing seamlessly in the field. Sportsmanship over rivalry! What could be a better phrase than this to judge the duo’s bittersweet bond?

If you want to know about other nitty-gritty of college football, you can refer to our ES Think Tank interview with Doug Sanders, founder of Sanders Sports and Entertainment.