By Adrian Beecher | SkyBoat.org
GLENDALE, AZ— The Miami Hurricanes have spent the entire postseason living on the edge.
On Thursday night, under the desert lights at State Farm Stadium, they proved once again they are built for it.
Behind poise from quarterback Carson Beck, relentless pressure up front, and a final, ice-cold drive when everything was on the line, No. 10 Miami defeated No. 6 Ole Miss 31–27 in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl semifinal to punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
The Hurricanes will now await the winner of Indiana and Oregon, with the title game set to be played in Miami — a home-game in their stadium.
“We weren’t going to let this slip,” Beck said afterward. “This is why you come to Miami. This is why you play the game.”
Here’s how it all went down with a spot in the title game on the line.
Early Feel-Out, Defensive Tone Set
Ole Miss won the opening coin toss and elected to receive, but Miami’s defense wasted no time making its presence felt. Carter Davis sent the opening kickoff through the end zone, and after two modest gains, Miami’s pass rush swarmed quarterback Trinidad Chambliss on third down. The pressure forced an errant throwaway, followed by a costly intentional grounding penalty that set the Rebels back 15 yards and sent them off the field.
Miami took over at its own 36 and immediately showed intent. Beck completed his first pass of the night to Keelan Marion in the right flat to move the chains, but the drive stalled near midfield. Facing fourth-and-two at the Ole Miss 43, the Hurricanes kept the offense on the field. Mark Fletcher Jr. powered through for three yards, extending the drive and eventually setting up a 38-yard Carter Davis field goal to open the scoring.
Ole Miss responded with another three-and-out, and after a penalty-filled Miami possession, the Rebels finally found their spark early in the second quarter.
Momentum Swings and Missed Opportunities
On second-and-three from their own 27, Kewan Lacy burst through the middle of the Miami defense, made two defenders miss, and sprinted 73 yards for a touchdown. In a blink, Ole Miss had flipped the game and grabbed a 7–3 lead.
Miami answered the way it has all postseason — methodically.
Beck led a steady drive highlighted by a third-and-seven strike to Elijah Lofton over the middle for 15 yards. Inside the red zone, Fletcher converted another critical third down, setting up first-and-goal. Two plays later, CharMar Brown powered in from four yards out, giving Miami a 10–7 edge with 7:09 left in the half.
Ole Miss again pushed into scoring range following a roughing-the-passer penalty, but the drive stalled, forcing the Rebels to settle for a 42-yard Lucas Carneiro field goal to tie the game.
Beck responded with his most explosive series of the half. He went a perfect four-for-four for 74 yards, capped by a 52-yard strike to Marion down the left sideline. The Hurricanes reclaimed momentum and a 17–10 lead with 2:18 remaining before halftime.
Ole Miss managed one final push before the break, driving into long range and connecting on a 58-yard field goal as time expired, trimming Miami’s lead to 17–13 at the half.
Third-Quarter Tension
The third quarter became a game of inches, nerves, and missed chances.
Both kickers missed field goals early, and Miami appeared poised to extend its lead after converting a fourth down near the Ole Miss 30. But disaster struck when Beck’s pass was tipped and intercepted by Kapena Gushiken, halting the drive.
Ole Miss capitalized with another field goal, cutting the deficit to 17–16 with 22 seconds left in the quarter and setting the stage for a frantic final 15 minutes.
Chaos, Composure, and a Championship Response
Ole Miss opened the fourth quarter backed up at its own 10 but methodically marched the length of the field. Penalties aided the drive, and Chambliss found Dae’Quan Wright to set up first-and-goal. On third-and-goal from the four, Chambliss hit Lacy in the flat. The Rebels settled for a 21-yard field goal, taking a 19–17 lead with just over seven minutes remaining.
Miami did not blink.
On the ensuing possession, Beck found Malachi Toney on a short pass. Toney turned it into a 36-yard gain, breaking tackles and willing his way into the red zone before finishing the drive himself to give Miami a 24–19 lead with 5:04 left.
Ole Miss answered once more. Chambliss connected with Wright on a 24-yard touchdown pass, and after a successful two-point conversion, the Rebels surged ahead 27–24 with 3:13 remaining.
That set the stage for the drive that defined Miami’s season.
Beck led a 13-play march that consumed the clock and drained the life from Ole Miss. Miami converted four third downs, leaned on Fletcher’s physical running, and stayed composed inside the red zone. With 18 seconds left, Beck kept the ball on a rolled light right and looked in reverse direction saw it was open on the left to the end zone and took off hinself and went across the goal line for the go-ahead score.
Ole Miss’s final Hail Mary attempt sailed out of the back of the end zone.
Game over.
“The tougher it gets, the better we play,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said. “That’s who these guys are.”
By the Numbers
Miami finished with a decisive edge in time of possession, holding the ball for more than 41 minutes and converting 11 of 19 third downs. The Hurricanes totaled 459 yards of offense, while Ole Miss managed 398.
Beck threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns while adding the game-winning score on the ground. Fletcher rushed for 133 yards, and Toney and Marion combined for 195 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Ole Miss was led by Chambliss, who threw for 277 yards and a score, while Lacy totaled 103 rushing yards and added a receiving touchdown.
What’s Next
Miami is headed to the national championship game, at home.
After winning a road playoff games at Texas A&M, in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State, and now Ole Miss, the Hurricanes will return to South Florida with everything on the line.
“We’re not done,” Cristobal said. “This is what we worked for.”
One more game remains.
And now, the whole college football world is coming to Miami.
