No. 10 Miami punches ticket to National Title with 31–27 win over No. 6 Ole Miss
GLENDALE, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - When Miami needed one final answer, Carson Beck delivered.
Beck scrambled in from three yards out with just 18 seconds remaining, lifting No. 10 Miami to a 31–27 victory over No. 6 Ole Miss in a dramatic College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night.
The win sends the Hurricanes (13–2) to the College Football Playoff National Championship, where they’ll face either No. 1 Indiana or No. 5 Oregon on January 19 with a chance to claim their first national title since the 2001-2002 season.
Miami’s path to the title game came with questions. The Hurricanes didn’t play in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game and were viewed by some as a controversial playoff selection. After Thursday night in the desert, those doubts are gone.
The Hurricanes leaned once again on a defense that has transformed into one of the nation’s best, holding Ole Miss to minimal production for most of the night before the game erupted late.
After Ole Miss took a 27–24 lead with just over three minutes left, Beck calmly led Miami down the field. The senior quarterback finished with 268 passing yards, two touchdowns, and the game-winning score on the ground.
Earlier, Malachi Toney sparked Miami with a 36-yard touchdown on a screen pass, while Beck connected with Keelan Marion for a 52-yard score before halftime. CharMar Brown added a short rushing touchdown as Miami built its lead piece by piece.
Ole Miss (13–2) stayed resilient despite losing head coach Lane Kiffin before the playoff. Trinidad Chambliss threw a late touchdown to Dae’Quan Wright and gave the Rebels one final chance, but his last-second heave into the end zone fell incomplete.
Under head coach Mario Cristobal, Miami has rediscovered its identity built on toughness, defense, and timely playmaking. One win now separates the Hurricanes from college football’s biggest prize.
