Miami quarterback Cam Ward broke the Division I career touchdown passes record Saturday when he completed his 156th career touchdown pass to Jacolby George with 4:12 left in the first quarter of the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
The four-yard score, Ward’s 37th touchdown pass of the season, broke a tie with former Houston quarterback Case Keenum, who holds the Football Bowl Subdivision-only record with 155 touchdown passes.
Ward, who won ACC player of the year honors, was a Heisman Trophy finalist and is a projected first-round NFL Draft pick, spent his first two years of college football at Incarnate Word, a Football Championship Subdivision program. He threw 71 touchdown passes there before transferring to Washington State for two seasons. Ward threw 48 touchdown passes in two seasons with the Cougars before transferring to Miami in January.
Ward may not hold on to the record for too long. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel has thrown 153 career touchdown passes — all at the FBS level — and plays Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. If the No. 1 seed Ducks win, they’ll advance to the semifinals of the 12-team bracket.
Gabriel is already the FBS leader in career touchdowns with 186. Ward has 176 career touchdowns, including 20 on the ground.
(Photo: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
