But Beck and the Hurricanes decided they weren’t done, and the sixth-year senior delivered. Beck capped off a 15-play, 75-yard drive ending in a 3-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left after making huge throws to set up the scramble.
The Georgia transfer completed 23-of-37 passes for 268 yards with two touchdowns to an interception, also rushing for a score. Beck never started in a CFP game at Georgia but is now leading the Hurricanes into the national championship game.
Now, Miami gets to return home, with the Jan. 19 national title game being held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been a storybook run for the Hurricanes, who have gone from CFP bubble team to the national championship, where it’ll face the winner of Indiana and Oregon.
Here are the highlights from Miami’s 31-27 win over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl.
Fiesta Bowl: Ole Miss vs Miami score
Fiesta Bowl: Ole Miss vs Miami highlights
This section will be updated.
Miami heading to national championship
Chambliss’ throw for the end zone is too long, and Miami comes back to win 31-27. The Hurricanes make a statement and are heading to the national championship game despite barely reaching the CFP.
Ole Miss not done yet
Chambliss hits on gains of 23 and 17 yards to put Ole Miss on Miami’s 35-yard line with five seconds left. The Rebels going to have a shot at the end zone here.
Miami goes on top
Carson Beck takes it himself for a 3-yard touchdown scramble to give Miami a 31-27 lead with 18 seconds left. What a drive for Beck, who leads the Hurricanes on a 15-play, 75-yard scoring drive where he made numerous big throws.
The sixth-year senior quarterback has delivered tonight.
Ole Miss takes lead
Ole Miss and Miami keep trading punches, and the Rebels deliver the latest jab. Trinidad Chambliss finds Dae’Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown, then hits Caleb Odom for the 2-point conversion.
The Rebels lead 27-24 with 3:13 left in the fourth quarter after the huge drive by Chambliss.
Miami responds
Carson Beck fires a quick pass to Malachi Toney, who does the rest as he runs 36 yards for the touchdown to give Miami a 24-19 lead with 5:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. It’s a huge response for the Hurricanes, who need only four plays and 1:56 of game clock on the scoring drive.
Ole Miss has to go find the end zone now.
Ole Miss takes lead
Miami holds Ole Miss out of the end zone, although the Rebels take a 19-17 lead on a 21-yard field goal by Lucas Carneiro. Ole Miss caps off its 13-play, 86-yard drive inside Miami’s 5-yard line without a touchdown.
Xavier Lucas disqualified for targeting
Xavier Lucas is called for targeting on Cayden Lee on a third-and-9 catch for a first down. The play results in a 15-yard penalty and Lucas being disqualified for the remainder of the game and likely the first half of the national championship game, should Miami win.
Kewan Lacy re-enters
Kewan Lacy takes his first carry of the second half. He’s now wearing a sleeve on his right leg as he battles a hamstring injury.
Ole Miss forces punt after back-to-back sacks
Ole Miss gets to Carson Beck on second and third down sacks by Suntarine Perkins and Will Echoles, respectively. The Rebels are up to four sacks on the night and have a chance to take the lead with 12:19 left in the fourth quarter.
This one is shaping up to have a fun finish.
Ole Miss makes field goal
Lucas Carneiro hits the upright again, however this time it doinks in for a 54-yard field goal make. Ole Miss trails 17-16 with 22 seconds left in the third quarter.
Carneiro is 3-of-4 on field goal attempts tonight.
Ole Miss intercepts Carson Beck
Ole Miss gets a huge turnover, as Carson Beck’s pass is tipped into the air at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Kapena Gushiken in the red zone.
The Rebels take over at their own 24-yard line after the huge play, which keeps Miami from potentially taking a two-score lead late in the third quarter. Ole Miss still trails 17-13.
Ole Miss misses field goal
Multiple Miami defenders bobble a would-be interception on third-and-10, but it doesn’t matter as Lucas Carneiro misses a 51-yard field goal off the left upright. The miss is Carneiro’s first of his eight field goal attempts in the College Football Playoff.
Miami misses field goal
Carter Davis misses a 51-yard field goal to end the opening drive of the second half. Miami was set behind the chains on an intentional grounding penalty from Carson Beck, which came after Ole Miss dialed up some pressure.
Kewan Lacy injury update
Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy is dealing with a hamstring injury, and coach Pete Golding told ESPN’s Holly Rowe at halftime that the team would go over his issue in the locker room. Losing Lacy, who led the SEC in rushing touchdowns this season, would be a huge blow for the Rebels.
Lacy appeared to suffer the injury on his touchdown run in the second quarter and hasn’t appeared since.
Read more on Lacy’s status here.
Lucas Carneiro hits deep field goal
Wow, Lucas Carneiro sinks a 58-yard field goal to reduce Ole Miss deficit to 17-13 with 11 seconds before halftime. That kick would’ve been good from much deeper than 58 yards, as it had plenty of distance.
Ole Miss punts
Ole Miss hasn’t found much success offensively outside of Kewan Lacy’s long touchdown run. The Rebels have gained 43 yards on 17 plays outside of the 73-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.
Trinidad Chambliss is 6-of-8 passing for 42 yards.
Miami scores again
Keelan Marion is wide open downfield, and Carson Beck hits him easily for a 52-yard touchdown. Looks like a busted coverage by Ole Miss.
Beck is off to a fabulous start, as he has completed 14-of-18 passes for 156 yards with a touchdown. His yardage is already more than he had against Texas A&M and Ohio State in Miami’s other CFP wins.
Ole Miss ties it
Lucas Carneiro, the hero of Ole Miss’ win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, hits from 42 yards out to even the score at 10-10 with 4:38 left before halftime.
Miami might have been bailed out there, as it avoids being flagged for a late hit on Chambliss on third-and-7 from the 24-yard line.
Miami responds with long scoring drive
Miami responds with a huge drive ending in a 4-yard touchdown run by CharMar Brown to regain the lead. The Hurricanes take a whopping 7:41 of game clock after the 15-play, 75-yard drive.
Miami’s blueprint of long, grinding drives in the CFP continues to work.
Ole Miss strikes
All it takes is one play for this Ole Miss offense. Kewan Lacy houses a handoff after outrunning Miami for a 73-yard touchdown. The Rebels lead 7-3 after the first play of the second quarter, gaining its first first down of the game in the process.
Miami punts
A holding penalty and a false start on third-and-9 result in Miami punting on its second possession. Ole Miss takes over on its own 20-yard line and can likely run a play before the first quarter ends.
Miami forces another three-and-out
This Miami defensive just keeps getting pressure, as it has all postseason. The Hurricanes force another three-and-out and are living in the backfield so far, making things quite uncomfortable for Chambliss.
Miami takes 3-0 lead
Miami caps off a 13-play, 44-yard drive with a 38-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. The Hurricanes’ drive burns 6:59 of clock as Beck attempts four passes.
Ole Miss goes three-and-out
Miami picks up right where it left off defensively, forcing Ole Miss to a three-and-out. The Hurricanes take over with good field position on their own 45-yard line.
Ole Miss starts on offense
The first of two CFP semifinal games is underway. Ole Miss starts with possession in the Fiesta Bowl, and here comes Trinidad Chambliss.
Nick Saban assistants in CFP
All four remaining head coaches in the CFP are former assistants under Nick Saban at Alabama, including Ole Miss’ Pete Golding and Miami’s Mario Cristobal. ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ asked each coach what they learned from Saban:
Will Trinidad Chambliss play next season?
Chambliss is currently awaiting a decision from the NCAA for a retroactive redshirt for the 2022 season, which would allow him to play the 2026 season.
The fifth-year senior spent four seasons at Ferris State, although he redshirted as a true freshman in 2021 before sitting out in 2022 as he battled health issues. He has already agreed to return to Ole Miss for next season, should he receive the eligibility waiver.
Mark Fletcher stats
Miami running back Mark Fletcher has been the Hurricanes’ best offensive player in the CFP so far. Here’s a look at how he performed in Miami’s two CFP wins, along with his season stats.
- vs. Ohio State: 19 carries for 90 yards with two receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown
- at Texas A&M: 17 carries for 172 yards
- 2025-26 stats: 177 carries for 943 yards with 10 touchdowns; 16 receptions for 132 yards with two touchdowns
Where is Miami vs Ole Miss game today?
- Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
Miami and Ole Miss will face in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals play their home games.
What TV channel is Miami vs Ole Miss on today?
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
The CFP Fiesta Bowl semifinal between Miami and Ole Miss will air nationally on ESPN, with Chris Fowler (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) calling the game and Holly Rowe serving as the sideline reporter.
Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a cable login) and Fubo, the latter of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
Miami vs Ole Miss time today
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 8
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
Miami and Ole Miss are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Miami vs Ole Miss predictions, picks, odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Sunday, Jan. 4
- Spread: Miami (-3.5)
- Over/under: 51.5
- Moneyline: Miami (-180) | Ole Miss (+150)
Prediction: Ole Miss 27, Miami 20
The magical run for Ole Miss continues, while the clock strikes midnight for Cristobal and Miami’s run. While the Hurricanes’ defense has carried them, Chambliss presents a different challenge and continues to make heroic plays to help the Rebels advance to the championship game. — Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY.
Here’s who experts within the USA TODAY Sports Network picked to win the Fiesta Bowl:
- Ole Miss 31, Miami 24: The Hurricanes’ pass rush put Julian Sayin in a blender in the Cotton Bowl. Trinidad Chambliss’ mobility and whirling dervish style should give the Rebels’ offense a chance the Buckeyes never had. On the other side of the ball, I trust Pete Golding to scheme up a defense that forces Carson Beck to win the game. Beck hasn’t thrown for more than 150 yards in either of Miami’s CFP wins, while the Rebels have proven you’ll need to score more than 24 points to beat them – heck, you may have to score 40. — Matt Glenesk, USA TODAY
- Ole Miss 23, Miami 7: Miami has come out and exceeded all expectations, and that should be recognized. Beating Texas A&M and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks is huge for a program that backed into the CFP at the last moment. But Pete Golding proved his mettle as a coach going toe-to-toe against an SEC behemoth in Georgia, and he should find a way to make Carson Beck’s life difficult. Combine that with how difficult it is to contain Trinidad Chambliss, despite the utterly elite pass rushers Miami has, and it’s a tough matchup for Miami. To its credit, the past two have been tough as well. But the buck stops in Glendale. — Kevin Skiver, USA TODAY
- Miami 27, Ole Miss 23: At some point —and this may just be stubbornly holding on to a week-old opinion — the inherent instability and awkwardness of the Rebels’ situation is going to be a factor, though it obviously hasn’t through two games in the playoff. Trinidad Chambliss is mesmerizing, but he hasn’t faced a pass rush quite as ferocious as Miami’s, and the Hurricanes’ offense will do just enough to keep their run going all the way to the title game. The prospect of a turnover-filled dud for Carson Beck only makes me so confident in this pick, though. — Craig Meyer, USA TODAY