The Miami Hurricanes tossed all their opponents on their path to emerge as one of the strong Championship contenders at 6-0. There had been a couple of close games where grace and luck played a role but they still achieved the Ws. So who do we give credit to? As expected, it’s Mario Cristobal and former tight end Adam Breneman backed it up. 

On October 10, Rivals posted two of Adam Breneman’s statement on Mario Cristobal with the caption, “Mario Cristobal deserves a ton of credit for Miami’s 6-0 start.” The second post featured an excerpt of Yahoo Sports’ College Football Power Hour podcast where the CFB insider said, “The best part of Miami being able to pull these games out is just the growth it showed for Mario Cristobal in this Miami program.”

Breneman reiterated Miami’s close call plights last season, which ended in losses. But this year, we’re seeing a different thing because somehow, they survived two back-to-back trailing games! As the CFB analyst said, “And now to be in many close games as they have and find a way to win it, it is a sign of growth. And it is a sign of a mature program. It’s the sign of a head coach learning how to win games and giving that confidence to his team and to his players.”

Miami had a “crazy game” against Virginia Tech in Week 5 as they came in with nearly a 91 percent chance to win. But somehow the Hokies dominated them and everyone thought they lost. But after ruling out the incomplete Hail Mary TD pass by Virginia Tech, the call was reversed, and they won 38-34. Week 7 game against California also saw them bouncing from a 25-point deficit to beat the Golden Bears 39-38. It’s a sign that Mario Cristobal has upped the Hurricanes’ game. But how is their star QB Cam Ward faring?

Cam Ward becomes the No. 1 QB 

Let’s not miss out what Breneman had to say about him this season. “A lot of times, coaches say all the time, usually your best players give you the biggest highlights and the most headaches,” he said. “Cam Ward is certainly that kind of player right now.” The Miami QB may have fumbled with poor decision under pressure with several incomplete passes but he knows how to win. 

Cam Ward not only managed to bring the win to the table, but his star power is rising. He dethroned Alabama’s Jalen Milroe as the No.1 QB as per CBS Sports after he miraculously brought his team to life with a victory over Cal in the last game recording 437 yards and two passing touchdowns. He was also named the ACC Quarterback of the Week for the second time in a row after Virginia Tech’s unbelievable win. Mario Cristobal and Ward will be a formidable combo as they hunt for more wins to take them closer to the Championship game. 

Also check out this exclusive interview with Doug Sanders on our Think Tank podcast.