TAMPA, Fla. — When Miami signed Cam Ward through the free agency market in January, the coaching staff felt it was a turning point.

Ward proves them right week after week.

In a 50-15 win over South Florida on Saturday night, Ward threw for 404 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, taking advantage of the Bulls’ man coverage on Miami receivers who have emerged as reliable playmakers. Isaiah Horton had 108 yards receiving, Xavier Restrepo had 99 yards and Sam Brown had 75, both of whom caught touchdown passes.

Ward is the first Miami player with at least 300 yards passing in each of his first four games of the season in the past 25 years. Miami has scored 209 points this season, the most through a four-game stretch in program history.

Miami is 4-0 for the second straight season, but with Ward at the helm, this 4-0 has a different feel, giving Hurricanes fans big dreams about the possibilities.

“I know Cam’s going to be mad at himself, he missed some shots by a hair, and that’s the kind of guy he is,” coach Mario Cristobal said afterward. “He’s always trying to get better. He’s dynamic, he keeps proving that he’s dynamic and a game changer for us.”

With the way USF chose to defend Miami, it was clear that the ball would be in Ward’s hands to throw. Even when the pocket broke down, he showed he could scramble and still connect with his receivers play after play. And while he missed a few throws, he made up for it with big plays, including a 76-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Brown on the sideline late in the second quarter that gave the Hurricanes the lead for good.

Miami defeated USF 36-0 to decide the game.

“Nobody is happy,” Cristobal said. “We’re excited about the progress. We’re excited and driven, but we just want to get back to work.”

Miami set a school record for points scored in the first four games of a season, with 209, passing the 2000 Hurricanes, who scored 201 points in four games. That team fell short of the national championship game, but set the tone for 2001, the last time Miami won a title.

As if that weren’t enough, Miami has scored 50 points in three straight games for the first time in program history. When asked what’s worked so well for the offense in the first four games, Ward credited his offensive line.

“The trenches are the reason we’re 4-0 on both sides of the ball,” Ward said. “As long as we’re playing well up front, we just have to do our job on the back end, on the perimeter, and we can win some games.”

Horton has emerged as a go-to player on the perimeter after a breakout spring. With Restrepo and Jacolby George returning, and Brown coming out of the portal, Horton has been able to find a role and ranks second on the team with 170 yards receiving.

“It’s awesome to play with Cam Ward,” Horton said. “He’s unbelievable. I knew that from the beginning, as soon as he stepped on campus. He made his mark right away.”

Ward didn’t want to talk about the plays he made, preferring to focus on the plays he missed in his postgame press conference. Still, it’s hard to ignore what he’s accomplished in four games as the Heisman conversation begins.

Ward is the first ACC player in the last 25 years with at least 300 yards passing and three touchdown passes in each of his first four games to start a season.

“I think we can be really good, especially with the plays we’ve been missing,” Ward said of the team’s potential. “The only thing that can stop us is ourselves. So we’ve got to continue to move forward and take on every opponent like they’re the No. 1 team in the country.”