Miami’s offense continues to carry team

For the third consecutive week, the Miami Hurricanes offense kept the team at the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings.

With a 52-45 road win over the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday afternoon, Miami moved to 3-0 in ACC play and 7-0 overall. Entering the game ranked sixth in the country in the latest Associated Press poll, the Hurricanes have now averaged 43.0 points over their last three contests. Every one of those points has been needed, however, as Miami’s opponents have averaged 39.0 points over that same span.

Miami’s 38 points posted in a tight 38-34 win over Virginia Tech on Sept. 27 is a season-low, showing just how potent the Hurricanes have been this season. Paced by quarterback Cam Ward, continuing to play his way into the conversation for the Heisman Trophy with his 20 touchdown passes on the year, the explosive potential of Miami’s offense is expected to make the Hurricanes a favorite in every remaining regular-season game.

Ward went 21-of-32 with 319 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday in Louisville, pacing the Miami offense. However, it was the power running of Damien Martinez that provided what would eventually be the winning points, carrying Louisville defenders into the end zone at the end of a 30-yard run with 4:05 left in the contest.