Miami Hurricanes QB Cam Ward: Defense ‘up 1-0 right now’ after first day of fall camp

Entering fall camp, new Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward talked about his excitement to face the team’s defense to truly see where both units stand now that the whole roster is on campus.

After the first day of practice concluded on Wednesday to officially kick off Miami’s month-long run before the 2024 season begins on Aug. 31 against the Florida Gators, how does Ward think things stacked up?

“They’re up 1-0 right now,” Ward said of the defense.

Added defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr.: “We were getting after it. A lot of young guys caught interceptions. A lot of guys made some plays from the second level all the way to the d-line. We looked pretty good as a whole unit, but I’m pretty sure the offense is going to try to bring it tomorrow.”

Ward, who transferred to Miami this offseason for his final season of collegiate eligibility, said the energy at practice was high but admitted the offense “didn’t have a great first day — we had a good enough first day.”

“Not where we want to be as an offense,” Ward said, “but we’ve just got to get better.”

Now, snap decisions should rarely be made from the first day of practice. The team isn’t in full pads. There’s an acclimation period for the new players — especially the transfers and freshmen who weren’t on campus in the spring. There’s still a month to get everything squared away before the games truly begin.

But with that comes coach Mario Cristobal’s main message for his team as camp gets underway: “You cannot practice soft and be coached soft be expected to play hard in games.”

“You must commit yourself to a level of physicality on a daily basis,” Cristobal said. “Going home and getting coddled and hearing how great you did and how you deserve more is not it. People have got to earn it out here every single day. There’s an extremely high level of respect between these players and what they’re trying to do.”

Cristobal focused on the “tremendous amount of enthusiasm and intensity” when speaking after practice but was quick to note that the practice did have its share of “positives and not so positives” when it came to execution.

“That comes with it,” Cristobal said referring to the start of camp, adding that “we’re not in football shape yet. It’s our job to get that way. By Day 16, it should look way different. By Day 22, it should look way different.”

What also comes with it is how the players themselves adapt and respond. Coaches will obviously play a role in that, but Cristobal has emphasized that the players have to do their part to carry the load and handle their responsibilities.

“The best thing a coach can do is prepare and conduct and organize a challenging practice,” Cristobal said. “At the end of the day, it has to be driven and it has to come from within. We are getting really good push from internal leadership.”

“We can’t just be complacent,” fifth-year offensive lineman Jalen Rivers added.

Ward, who immediately immersed himself as a vocal presence once he stepped foot on campus in spring after transferring from Washington State, said he is taking it upon himself to make sure everyone is practicing to their maximum effort.

He has no problem telling someone mid-drill if he’s noticing something, too — if the timing is right.

“It depends on the time and moment of practice — if you’re going tempo, not going tempo, if we’re just going period to period,” Ward said. “There’s a time, but you’ve got to emphasize it on your time as to whether you have to get on the guy now or wait until after practice.”

As for what Ward plans to do between the end of the first practice and when the Hurricanes hit the field again for their second practice of camp on Thursday?

“Watch the little stuff,” Ward said. “I feel like that’s what we learned today is that the little details, we didn’t emphasize it enough, and it showed on the field. So looking at that, looking at effort of guys — effort’s a big thin in our offense and football in general. If you don’t have effort, you won’t win a lot of games. That’s really the thing we’ve really got to clean up and really come back tomorrow to have a better day, for sure.”