At a Glance
- Carson Beck scrambled for a 3-yard TD with 18 seconds left to lift Miami over Mississippi 31-27
- The 10th-ranked Hurricanes (13-2) advance to the CFP title game at home on Jan. 19
- Ole Miss (13-2) saw its best season ever end on an incomplete Hail Mary as time expired
- Why it matters: Miami will play for its first national title since 2001 in front of a hometown crowd at Hard Rock Stadium
Miami’s roller-coaster ride back to national relevance ended in desert drama: a last-second touchdown, a goal-line stand, and a plane ride home with a championship date waiting.
The Winning Drive
Down 27-24, Beck coolly moved the Hurricanes 75 yards in 11 plays. On third-and-goal from the 3, he rolled right, tucked the ball and dived into the end zone with 18 seconds left.
> “We never flinched,” Beck said. “In the face of adversity, when we had to respond, we responded.”
Ole Miss still had life. Two quick completions pushed the Rebels to the Miami 35 with six seconds left. Chambliss’ final heave to the end zone fell incomplete as the red sea stormed the field.
From Doubted to Destined
Miami didn’t even reach the ACC title game and was labeled a controversial CFP pick. The response: hold Texas A&M and defending champ Ohio State to 17 combined points, then throttle Ole Miss for three quarters in the desert.
| Quarter | Miami | Ole Miss |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | 0 |
| 2nd | 14 | 10 |
| 3rd | 7 | 9 |
| 4th | 7 | 8 |
Malachi Toney’s 36-yard screen-turned-score gave Miami a 24-19 edge early in the fourth. Lucas Caneiro’s fourth field goal and Chambliss’ 24-yard strike to Dae’Quan Wright flipped it to 27-24 Rebels with 3:13 left-setting the stage for Beck’s heroics.
Coaching Upheaval and Resilience
Lane Kiffin’s mid-playoff exit to LSU could have cratered Ole Miss. Instead, interim coach Pete Golding guided the Rebels to their first-ever playoff wins-routs of Tulane and previously unbeaten Georgia-before Thursday’s heartbreak.
> “I will just remember how they embraced each other,” Golding said. “There was a lot going on the last month. They’re going to be talking about this for a long time.”
Beck, now 37-5 as a collegiate starter, will finish his career one win from glory in the stadium he currently calls home.
Key Takeaways
- Miami’s defense held Ole Miss to minus-1 yard in the first quarter
- Kewan Lacy’s 73-yard TD run was the longest allowed by Miami since 2018
- Caneiro banged in field goals of 58, 54 and 51 yards-and had another clang off the upright
- The CFP championship game will pit No. 1 Indiana or No. 5 Oregon against the Hurricanes on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium
Miami completes a stunning turnaround: from playoff doubters to 60 minutes from a title in their own backyard.
