Miami Stuns Ole Miss in Fiesta Bowl Thriller, Books First National Title Shot in 23 Years
Hurricanes’ last-minute heroics seal 31–27 College Football Playoff semifinal win in Glendale
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Miami Hurricanes are headed back to the pinnacle of college football for the first time in more than two decades.
In a pulsating College Football Playoff semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, No. 10 Miami edged No. 6 Ole Miss 31–27, riding a last-minute touchdown scramble from quarterback Carson Beck to secure a place in the national championship game — the program’s first shot at a title since its 2001 season crown.[1][4][6]
Beck’s 18-second dash into history
With Miami trailing 27–24 and less than a minute remaining, the Hurricanes’ season — and their long-awaited return to national relevance — hung in the balance. Beck, the transfer quarterback who has steadily become the face of Miami’s resurgence, delivered the defining play of his Canes career.
Facing a red zone opportunity with the clock winding down, Beck dropped back, saw his receivers covered and tucked the ball to run. He slipped through a crease on the right side and dove across the goal line for a three-yard touchdown with just 18 seconds left, giving Miami a 31–27 lead and sending the Hurricanes’ sideline into chaos.[1][4]
Ole Miss still had one last chance. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss completed a pair of passes to push the Rebels to the Miami 35-yard line with six seconds remaining.[1][4] Chambliss then unleashed a desperate heave to the end zone as time expired, but the pass fell incomplete amid heavy traffic, sealing Miami’s victory and sending the Hurricanes to the title game.[1][5]
From ‘The U’ to ‘We’re back’: Miami’s long road to relevance
For head coach Mario Cristobal, now in his fourth season leading his alma mater, the win represents the culmination of a patient rebuild aimed at restoring the swagger that once defined “The U.”[1][2] Miami’s last national title game appearance came in the 2002 season’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State, a game still remembered for a controversial pass interference call in overtime.
That history was not lost on the Hurricanes or their fans on Thursday night. A late pass interference call on Miami that aided an Ole Miss scoring drive drew immediate comparisons to that 2003 classic, but this time the Hurricanes survived the flashback — and flipped the storyline.[2]
“He’s hungry, he’s driven, he’s a great human being, and all he wants to do is to see his teammates have success,” Cristobal said of Beck after the game, underscoring how central the quarterback has been to Miami’s resurgence.[1]
First-half chess match: ground game vs. big plays
The semifinal began as a tactical struggle between contrasting styles. Miami leaned on its physicality and ball control, grinding out drives with a steady run game and high-percentage throws, while Ole Miss sought explosive plays behind one of the nation’s most dynamic rushing attacks.[1][4]
Miami opened the scoring with a field goal, then punched in a four-yard touchdown run from CharMar Brown, capitalizing on methodical drives that kept the Rebels’ offense off the field.[1][4] Just before halftime, Beck exploited a busted coverage in the Ole Miss secondary, hitting Keelan Marion on a 52-yard touchdown strike that showcased Miami’s ability to stretch the field when it mattered most.[1][4]
Ole Miss answered with its own fireworks. Star running back Kewan Lacy, the nation’s third-leading rusher, exploded through a seam for a 73-yard touchdown early in the second quarter — the longest run allowed by Miami’s defense since 2018.[1][4] That burst injected life into a Rebels offense that had been largely bottled up early.
Special teams kept Ole Miss within striking distance. Kicker Lucas Carneiro drilled a 58-yard field goal just before halftime, then saw a 51-yarder bang off the left upright and through, and later caromed a 54-yarder off the same upright in a remarkable display of long-range accuracy.[4][5]
Miami carried a 17–13 lead into the break, having controlled time of possession and tempo but unable to fully separate on the scoreboard.[2][6]
Wild fourth quarter: four lead changes in seven minutes
The game’s defining chaos arrived in the fourth quarter.
After a scoreless third, Miami and Ole Miss traded blows in a frenetic final period that featured four lead changes in the last seven minutes.[2] With the Hurricanes still leaning on their defense and short passing game, penalties and stalled drives opened the door for the Rebels.
Ole Miss nudged in front on Carneiro’s fourth field goal of the night, a 21-yarder set up by consecutive 15-yard personal foul penalties on Miami — one for targeting and another for unnecessary roughness — that marched the Rebels to first-and-goal.[5]
Miami’s response came from one of its breakout stars of this postseason. Freshman receiver Malachi Toney, already a hero from the Hurricanes’ opening CFP win over Texas A&M, took a screen pass from Beck and weaved 36 yards for a touchdown, pushing Miami back ahead 24–19 with just over five minutes remaining.[1][2][4]
Chambliss, however, refused to yield. The Ole Miss quarterback marched the Rebels downfield, aided by a crucial pass interference call against Miami on a third-down incompletion — a flag that instantly evoked memories of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl for Hurricanes fans.[2] With 3:13 to play, Chambliss zipped a 24-yard touchdown pass to Dae’Quan Wright, giving Ole Miss a 27–24 lead and placing the pressure squarely back on Miami.[1][2][4]
That set the stage for Beck’s final drive — and the three-yard scramble that will be replayed in Coral Gables for years to come.
Defense delivers again for Miami
Miami’s season-long identity on defense again proved decisive. The Hurricanes arrived in Glendale having held Texas A&M and reigning national champion Ohio State to a combined 17 points in their previous two games.[4] Against an Ole Miss attack that had powered the Rebels to a 13–2 record, Miami’s defense dominated the first three quarters, especially against the pass, before hanging on late.
Even with Lacy’s 73-yard dash, the Hurricanes limited big plays for much of the night, forcing Ole Miss to settle for field goals on multiple deep drives.[1][4][5] That bend-but-don’t-break approach kept Miami in front for long stretches and provided a margin for error when the offense sputtered in the third quarter.
On the final play, amid jostling in the end zone as Chambliss’ desperation throw came down, no flags were thrown. Miami defenders celebrated as the ball hit the turf — and with it, a two-decade climb back to the sport’s biggest stage was complete.[5]
Legends on the sideline, legacy on the line
Some of the greatest icons in Miami football history were on hand to witness the program’s return to the national spotlight. Hurricanes legends including Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Gino Torretta and Edgerrin James watched from the sideline as the current generation authored a new chapter in Miami lore.[2]
For players and fans alike, the symbolism was unmistakable: the storied past of “The U” sharing the stage with a team determined to prove that the program’s glory days are not confined to history.
Homecoming for a national championship
The win sends Miami home for the College Football Playoff National Championship, where the Hurricanes will play for their first national title in 23 years — and their sixth overall.[1][4][6] The journey has been defined by a rebuilt culture under Cristobal, a defense that has stifled some of the nation’s top offenses, and a quarterback who has risen to the moment on the sport’s biggest stage.
“It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” Beck said after the game, reflecting on the dramatic finish and the opportunity that now lies ahead.[5]
For Miami, the Fiesta Bowl was more than a semifinal. It was a statement that the Hurricanes are not just back in the conversation — they are 60 minutes away from a national championship.