At Miami, VA Tech will be concentrating on quarterbacks cousins
During a Tuesday press conference, Miami quarterback Cam Ward discussed his connection with Virginia Tech QB Kyron Drones, who is also his cousin. Ward noted that they both train with the same quarterback coach during the offseason. The spotlight will be on the two quarterbacks during Friday night’s game at Hard Rock Stadium.
Ward has had an impressive debut season with Miami. Through the first four games, he’s completed 72.4 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,439 yards, 14 touchdowns, and two interceptions, along with 89 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
Drones, on the other hand, has completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 765 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions, along with 209 rushing yards and two rushing scores. His interceptions this season have already matched his total from 2023, when he threw for 2,085 yards, 17 touchdowns, and a 58.2 percent completion rate over 13 games.
Ward currently leads the ACC in passing yards, yards per attempt, passing yards per game, touchdown passes, and passer rating. He has exceeded expectations after being named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year and is now the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, with FanDuel listing his odds at plus 350.
Drones ranks second in the ACC in both rushing yards and rushing yards per game. Miami will be up against another quarterback who has been more effective as a runner than a passer, just like in their previous game. Miami’s game plan will likely focus on keeping Drones contained in the pocket, forcing him to rely on his passing.
Since his 322-yard, two-touchdown, one-interception performance in the season opener, Drones has thrown for less than 200 yards in each of his last three games. Over those three games, he’s completed 56.76 percent of his passes for 443 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, while rushing for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
Drones had a standout performance with 12 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown in Virginia Tech’s 37-17 victory over Old Dominion two weeks ago, and he added 60 rushing yards on nine carries against Rutgers last week. However, in the first two games of the season, Drones managed just 32 yards on 31 carries. Miami will aim to limit his running ability, as they successfully did with South Florida’s Byrum Brown in their last game.