The Miami Hurricanes played the Iowa State Cyclones in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Saturday afternoon in Orlando.
The game was an offensive showing for the first half with the teams combining for eight-straight touchdown drives. Both teams settled down defensively, but in the second half, Miami quarterback, and expected top NFL Draft pick, appeared to opt out of the remainder of the game.
And with the game going back-and-forth for most of the second half, college football fans across the country took notice and laid into Ward for his decision to seemingly remove himself from the game.
Iowa State went on to win the game 42-41. Here are the top social media reactions.
Related: Three Biggest Takeaways From Iowa State’s 42-41 Win Over Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl
Ward broke the record for NCAA Division I all-time leader in career passing touchdowns with 156.
As for the game, Rocco Becht led Iowa State down the field as he had done so many times this season during a key, late moment in the game and helped the Cyclones take the lead over the Hurricanes in the final minute of play on a 4th and goal where Becht ran behind his offensive line and dove into the end zone for a touchdown, to tie the game at 41, before Iowa State’s extra point put them on top 42-41.
On the game-winning drive, Becht had multiple big passes to Jaylin Noel on key downs, a big 11-yard run on a 3rd and 6, and then with the game on the line, Matt Campbell decided he was going to let his leader at quarterback win or lose him the game, and it worked out for Iowa State.
One quarterback was there for his team in crunch time, the other was not.
