What we're watching
• An epic fourth quarter: Miami and Ole Miss went back and forth, with the lead changing four times in the fourth quarter, before the Hurricanes landed the final punch with a touchdown with 18 seconds left to score a 31-27 victory.
• Veteran QB leads team to victory: Quarterback Carson Beck ran for a touchdown to put the Hurricanes up for good after leading his team on an epic final drive, moving steadily down the field to return The U to the national title game.
• Ole Miss comes so close: After losing their head coach Lane Kiffin before the playoffs began, the Rebels came within inches of playing their way into the national title game on a last-gasp pass from star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
• One more semi tomorrow: Miami will take on the winner of Indiana-Oregon, who play on Friday in the Peach Bowl. This year’s CFP national championship game is on January 19 in Miami Gardens, Florida – in Miami’s home stadium.
Miami lands the final punch to knock out Ole Miss, heads to the College Football Playoff national title game
It’s all about the U!
The Miami Hurricanes find themselves back in the national championship for the first time since 2003 after a thrilling 31-27 victory over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
However, it didn’t always look like it was a sure thing for the Canes.
The Rebels took the lead in the third quarter and the Miami defense struggled with penalties and containing Ole Miss star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
With five minutes remaining, Chambliss led Ole Miss down the field, culminating in a touchdown to take a three-point lead.
It was all up to Miami quarterback Carson Beck to keep the season alive.
Driving down the field, the ex-Georgia Bulldog tucked the ball and took it untouched for three yards to propel the Canes back into the lead with just 18 seconds left.
Despite Chambliss doing his best hero ball, Ole Miss came up inches short on a last second Hail Mary into the end zone.
Beck finished with 268 yards and three total touchdowns to be named the offensive player of the game.
Chambliss had 277 yards and a touchdown.
Miami will look to bring home the program’s sixth national championship and won’t have to travel far (at all) to do so as they will face the winner of Friday’s second CFP semifinal between Indiana and Oregon on their home turf at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on January 19.
Carson Beck describes winning TD: 'It's the best feeling I've ever had in my life'
The Miami Hurricanes had to sweat it out until the final whistle, but in the end “The U” prevailed over Ole Miss and will play in the College Football Playoff championship game.
Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck and head coach Mario Cristobal spoke on the field immediately after the game as the confetti rained down.
“It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” Beck said to broadcaster ESPN of his emotions as he ran in the game-winning touchdown.
The game turned into a slugfest in the final minutes after starting out as a defensive struggle early.
Beck was asked about his message to his offense after falling behind with just over three minutes remaining in the game.
“‘We got three minutes for the rest of our life,’” Beck answered. “’Don’t s**t else matter’ - sorry, I don’t mean to cuss, emotions are rolling, but nothing else matters. ‘We got three minutes to go through this, and everything we worked for since January, everything we’ve been through, all the adversity that we faced all comes down to three minutes in the semifinals.’”
“You play this game for moments like these, you live for moments like these!” Beck added later.
Cristobal was eager to heap praise on his team but was already looking forward to a showdown with the winner of Friday’s game between the Oregon Ducks and the top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers.
“I want to give a ton of credit to our players,” Cristobal told ESPN. “I can’t even tell you how many of our guys were sick, had the flu, had issues, and all they kept talking about was ‘we’re gonna find a way.’
“We focused of course on enjoying this one, but we gotta get focused on ‘1-0’ one more time.”
Miami outlasts Ole Miss to advance to national championship
Trinidad Chambliss and Ole Miss got the ball back, down four with 18 seconds left.
A couple quick completions led the Rebels to the Miami 35-yard line, setting up for a last chance Hail Mary.
With the season on the line, the last second heave fell incomplete and the Miami Hurricanes survive to advance to the national championship game!
The Canes will play the winner of Indiana and Oregon on January 19 in Miami Gardens, Florida, on their home field.
Final: Miami 31, Ole Miss 27
Miami scores a TD to take the lead!
On second and goal, Miami QB Carson Beck dropped back to pass. Beck had all day to progress through his reads, but couldn’t find an open receiver.
As Ole Miss finally started getting some pressure, Beck tucked the ball and took it untouched for three yards to propel the Canes back into the lead!
Score: Miami, 31 Ole Miss 27
Miami knocking on the door with almost 30 seconds to play
Miami gets the ball back as this edition of the Fiesta Bowl has officially achieved legendary status.
Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck takes the field looking to answer the heroics of his counterpart Trinidad Chambliss as time runs low in the desert.
On a critical third and eight play, Ole Miss cornerback Jaylon Braxton was flagged for a facemask penalty that moved Miami to shouting distance of field goal range.
Malachi Toney made yet another spectacular play on a one-handed catch, but instant replay showed that his heel came down out of bounds. Beck rebounded with a third down completion to CJ Daniels for a fresh set of downs.
The Canes converted yet another third down as Beck threw a bullet to Keelan Marion for a 17-yard gain to put Miami safely within field goal range with less than a minute left on the clock. Beck went back to Marion again for another catch to set the Hurricanes up with first and goal.
Score: Ole Miss 27, Miami 24
Chambliss plays hero as Ole Miss takes lead late
Every time Ole Miss’ backs are against the wall, it is Trinidad Chambliss that comes to the rescue.
After a pass interference call against the Miami defense, Chambliss led the Rebels offense down the field and capped it off with a 24-yard rope to tight end Dae’Quan Wright for the lead.
Ole Miss would tack on on a two-point conversion as they lead by three points with just over three minutes to go.
Beck and Co. need something on this drive to keep Miami’s season alive.
Score: Ole Miss 27, Miami 24
Malachi Toney's spectacular run after catch puts the Canes in front!
It’s desperation time now for the Hurricane offense.
Miami got their drive started on a positive note with a 15-yard pickup on a Ole Miss pass interference penalty.
Mark Fletcher Jr. picked up 17 yards on a running play as the Canes quickly moved into field goal range.
But freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney had bigger ideas, taking a screen pass 36 yards, breaking tackles along the way to paydirt as Miami takes the lead back with about five minutes left in the game.
Score: Miami 24, Ole Miss 19
Ole Miss takes the lead!
Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro has shaken off the earlier miss, nailing a 21-yard field goal to put the Rebels on top with seven minutes to go.
However, it was an interesting route to the lead.
The season was on the line and Trinidad Chambliss finally showed the form he’s shown all year long.
With Kewan Lacy back involved, Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense were driving.
But then came stupid penalties by the Miami defense.
Cornerback Xavier Lucas was ejected for targeting on Rebels wide receiver Cayden Lee and defensive lineman David Blay Jr. was flagged for a late hit to set up the Ole Miss offense.
To add injury to insult, Miami are now without both their starting cornerbacks with Lucas ejected and OJ Frederique Jr. now out with injury.
It’s beginning to be do-or-die time for Carson Beck and the Hurricanes offense. A huge drive upcoming.
Score: Ole Miss 19, Miami 17
Ole Miss comes up with back to back sacks to snuff Miami drive
Now clinging to a one-point lead, Miami was in desperate need of a productive drive. Instead, it was the Ole Miss defense – which looked gassed and spent a few minutes ago – that made the big plays.
The Hurricanes picked up a pair of first downs on the first two plays of the drive, but back-to-back sacks from the weary Rebels’ defense snuffed the drive out.
Miami punts the ball back to Ole Miss, who is looking to reclaim the lead for the first time since early in the second quarter. The Rebels fans in attendance in Glendale are going absolutely nuts.
Score: Miami 17, Ole Miss 16
It's a 1-point game headed to the 4th quarter in a Fiesta Bowl classic in the making
After 45 minutes of football, the Miami Hurricanes lead the Ole Miss Rebels by the narrowest of margins at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Awaiting the winner is a shot at the national championship in 11 days at the College Football Playoff title game.
Score: Miami 17, Ole Miss 16
Ole Miss keeps cutting into lead after field goal doinks off the goal post and in
After Carson Beck’s tipped interception, it was time for Trinidad Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense to finally flash their offensive prowess that they have showed all season long.
Despite not exactly doing so, the Rebels still came away with three points to make it a one-point game as the third quarter inches to a close.
The Miami defense has played a stellar game in all but one category - holding onto to sure interceptions.
The unit dropped their fourth of the game, allowing Ole Miss to set up kicker Lucas Carneiro with a 54-yard field goal, which he doinked off the goal post and in! The goal post taketh away and the goal post giveth.
Miami’s turn to respond.
Score: Miami 17, Ole Miss 16
Promising Miami drive ends in the game's first turnover
After a rare miss from the Rebels’ phenom kicker Lucas Carneiro, the Hurricanes offense was back on the field.
Miami leaned into its powerful run game, converting a trio of first downs without completing a pass.
Once again, a costly penalty put the Canes in a third-and-very-long situation. With little choice but to throw, Carson Beck’s pass was deflected and picked off by Kapena Gushiken, the first turnover in the game by either team.
Ole Miss dodges another bullet, but can they capitalize? Their defense needs a bit of a rest as they looked gassed on the last drive.
Score: Miami 17, Ole Miss 13
Lacy returns in ugly offensive drive for Ole Miss
Do Ole Miss fans want the good news or bad news first?
The good news is running back Kewan Lacy returned after suffering an apparent hamstring injury in the first quarter.
The bad news… well… the Rebels offense looked lost.
The Miami defense dropped two easy picks from Trinidad Chambliss.
To make matters worse, kicker Lucas Carneiro, who has been on the money for Ole Miss so far, missed a 51-yard field goal by doinking it off the goal post.
A failed attempt to cut into the deficit even more.
Score: Miami 17, Ole Miss 13
Miami's opening drive of the second half ends in a missed FG
It may have felt like Miami dominated the first half, but the scoreboard tells a different story as the Hurricanes nurse a narrow four-point lead.
Miami’s offense looked to reassert its dominance on the Canes’ first possession of the second half.
The Hurricanes piccked up big gains from Malachi Toney and and incredible 19-yard run from Mark Fletcher Jr. that saw the running back carrying an entire pile of Ole Miss tacklers.
An intentional grounding penalty against Carson Beck on a flea flicker derailed the drive, forcing Miami to settle for a 51-yard field goal attempt from Carter Davis that sailed wide right.
Score: Miami 17, Ole Miss 13
Game is back underway in the second half
Ole Miss’ Lucas Carneiro gets us started by booting the ball through the back of the end zone and Miami takes over to start the second half.
Thirty minutes separates one of the teams from a national title shot.
Ole Miss keeps it close as the game reaches halftime
Lucas Carneiro played hero in Ole Miss’ upset win over Georgia in the CFP quarterfinal last week.
And this week, the junior kicker is doing more of the same after knocking down a 58-yard field goal to cut into the deficit just ahead of halftime.
The Rebels offense marched down the field on an eight-play drive, with no timeouts at their disposal. The unit shook off a near-interception by Trinidad Chambliss to set up the long field goal.
It is shocking how close the game is at the half just looking at the statistics.
Miami has almost 23 minutes with the ball in comparison to Ole Miss’ seven minutes and 16 seconds. The Hurricanes have also outgained the Rebels 228 yards to 145 yards of total offense.
Ole Miss has some adjustments to make if running back Kewan Lacy cannot come back from the apparent hamstring injury.
Take a breather folks because the second half is coming up.
Score: Miami 17, Ole Miss 13
Ole Miss forces a punt and a final chance at first-half points
After another stand from its defense, Miami had the chance to tack on to its lead with its final possession of the first half.
Ole Miss defensive end Princewill Umanmielen picked a great time to get the Rebels’ first sack of the game to pump the brakes on the Miami offense on the first play of the drive.
The Rebels forced a timely three-and-out and head coach Pete Golding used his remaining timeouts to force a Miami punt and give the Ole Miss offense a glimmer of hope.
Score: Miami 17, Ole Miss 10
Ole Miss offense stagnant to close out half
Ole Miss clearly missed running back Kewan Lacy on that drive.
The sophmore has yet to return to the game since suffering an apparent hamstring injury after the long touchdown run.
The Rebels punted the ball back to Miami with just over a minute until halftime.
Score: Miami 17, Ole Miss 10
Hurricanes surge into the lead with a deep strike from Carson Beck
Already set to receive the second half kickoff, Miami capitalized on a costly Ole Miss mistake late in the second quarter.
On a busted coverage from the Rebels’ defense, Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck spotted a wide-open Keelan Marion for a 52-yard touchdown.
Score: Miami 17, Ole Miss 10
Ole Miss ties things up after field goal
No Kewan Lacy, no real issues for Ole Miss on that drive.
Since suffering an apparent hamstring injury, Lacy has not played a snap but the Rebels offense was still strong enough to set up a 42-yard field goal for Lucas Carneiro.
The game is knotted up with just under five minutes until halftime.
Score: Ole Miss 10, Miami 10
