For the second week in a row, the Miami Hurricanes pulled off what can only be described as a heart-pounding, comeback victory that kept their unbeaten streak alive. This time, they clawed back from a 25-point second-half deficit to stun the California Golden Bears in a dramatic 39-38 win. The game was an emotional roller coaster, with Miami’s quarterback Cam Ward showing why he's a leader on and off the field. In the end, his late-game heroics led the Hurricanes to an improbable victory, delivering a game-winning touchdown pass to Elijah Arroyo with just 26 seconds left on the clock.
Let's take a moment to fully appreciate what happened here. Miami was down by 25 points in the third quarter, a point where most teams would fold. Yet, for the Hurricanes, quitting wasn’t an option. They dug deep, played relentless football, and chipped away at the lead until they were back in striking distance. Ward orchestrated four straight touchdown drives to close out the game, a feat not often seen in college football. It was a dazzling display of resilience and grit, something fans will remember for a long time.
This win didn’t come easy. In fact, it marked the second consecutive week where Miami found themselves needing to pull off a near-miraculous comeback. Just last week, they narrowly escaped a loss to Virginia Tech, benefiting from a replay review that nullified a potential game-winning touchdown for the Hokies. These tight, nail-biting finishes might not be ideal, but as Ward himself put it, “Ugly wins are better than good losses.”
Ward’s performance in the fourth quarter was nothing short of electric. His ability to stay calm under pressure, particularly after throwing a pick-six in the second quarter that put the Golden Bears up 28-10, speaks volumes about his mindset and leadership. "Just keep playing," Ward said. “You can’t come back from 25 points in one drive. You take it play by play, keep the faith, and trust the guys around you." He completed 35 of 53 passes, racking up a staggering 437 yards and two touchdowns. Not to mention his 24-yard touchdown run that slashed Cal’s lead to 38-32 with just over four minutes left on the clock.
In the final moments, with Miami trailing and the clock winding down, Ward connected with Arroyo for a 5-yard game-winning touchdown, capping off the incredible comeback. It’s moments like these that define a season, and for Miami, this could very well be a turning point. With this victory, the Hurricanes improved to 6-0 on the season and 2-0 in ACC play, solidifying their status as a team to watch.
On the flip side, the loss was devastating for Cal and their fans. This was a game they had every reason to believe they would win. Hosting ESPN's "College GameDay" for the first time and riding high on the momentum of nearly knocking off a top-10 team, the Golden Bears were on the verge of something special. For much of the game, it looked like they were going to pull off their second win over a top-10 opponent in 21 years. But it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, they found themselves on the wrong side of one of the biggest comebacks in college football this season.
For Cal head coach Justin Wilcox, the mood in the locker room was understandably somber. "It’s as bad as you can imagine," he said after the game. "Football is a humbling game. We had every opportunity to win that game, obviously. We didn’t get it done, and now we all have to own it." Wilcox also emphasized that this moment could be a defining one for his team, a test of how they’ll respond moving forward. "In a month, two months, or even a year from now, I hope everyone involved will be proud of how they responded to this," he added.
Cal’s hopes of sealing the victory were dashed in the final minutes when a crucial officiating decision went against them. With 1:50 left on the clock, the officials reviewed a potential targeting call on a hit to Cal’s quarterback, Fernando Mendoza. Had the call gone their way, it would have given the Golden Bears a critical first down and a chance to run out the clock. Instead, the ruling on the field stood, and Cal was forced to punt, setting the stage for Miami’s game-winning drive.
"I’m not going to talk about that," Wilcox said, clearly frustrated by the officiating. "You can write whatever you want." The officiating controversy marked the second straight week where a key decision seemed to favor the Hurricanes. Just a week earlier, Miami benefited from a replay review that overturned a potential game-winning Hail Mary for Virginia Tech.
But let’s not get too hung up on the officiating, because what Miami did in this game was historic. According to ESPN Research, ACC teams were a dismal 1-401 over the last 20 years when trailing by 25 or more points at any point in the game. Let that sink in. Only one team had ever come back from such a deficit before Miami pulled off this improbable win. The last time the Hurricanes mounted a comeback this massive was all the way back in 1999, and it stands as the largest comeback in FBS this season.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal couldn’t have been prouder of his quarterback. "I’ve said it a million times: I’ve got complete and utter faith in that guy," Cristobal said after the game. "Everything he represents, everything he stands for—he’s a warrior. He just keeps fighting."
At this point, Miami’s ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat has become almost legendary. They’ve shown time and time again that they’re never out of a game, no matter how bleak the situation may look. For Hurricanes fans, it’s been a thrilling, if slightly stressful, ride. These back-to-back comeback wins have put the entire college football world on notice: Miami is for real.
Looking ahead, the Hurricanes will need to tighten up if they want to keep their unbeaten streak alive. As Ward acknowledged after the game, they can’t keep relying on late-game heroics to save the day. "We can’t keep putting ourselves in these situations," Ward said. "That’s two games straight now where we’ve had to come from behind. We’ve got to lock in."
In the end, though, a win is a win. And in college football, especially in the ACC, ugly wins can carry you a long way. For Miami, the path ahead is full of possibilities, but if these last two games have shown us anything, it's that you can never count them out—no matter the odds, no matter the deficit. The Hurricanes are here, and they’re ready for whatever comes next.
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