The Miami Hurricanes beat the Ole Miss Rebels 31-27 in a thrilling College Football Playoff semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on January 8, 2026. This win sent them to the national championship at Hard Rock Stadium. With only 18 seconds left in the game, quarterback Carson Beck scored the game-winning 3-yard rushing touchdown, ending a crucial 75-yard drive after Ole Miss had briefly taken the lead. Miami will play in the CFP title game for the first time since 2002. They will face the winner of the Oregon-Indiana semifinal.
There were several lead changes in the game. The first was a 73-yard touchdown run by Ole Miss freshman Kewan Lacy that gave the Rebels a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter. Miami quickly answered with a 15-play, 75-yard drive that ended with CharMar Brown’s short touchdown run, putting them back in the lead at 10-7. Miami was ahead 17-13 at halftime thanks to Beck’s 52-yard touchdown pass to Keelan Marion, which took advantage of a coverage mistake.
The kicker for Ole Miss Lucas Carneiro’s field goals kept the Rebels close, including a 21-yard kick that gave them a 19-17 lead. But then Miami’s Malachi Toney caught a 36-yard screen pass for a touchdown, putting the Hurricanes up 24-19. Trinidad Chambliss then led a scoring drive that ended with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Dae’Quan Wright and a successful two-point conversion. With five minutes left, Ole Miss was ahead 27-24. Beck’s heroics came next, as he ran for the game-winning score, but Chambliss’s last Hail Mary pass was not completed.
Beck threw 23 of 37 passes for 268 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also scored the game-winning touchdown on the ground. Marion caught seven passes for 114 yards, and Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for 133 yards on 22 carries. Chambliss threw for 277 yards and a touchdown on 23 of 37 passes for Ole Miss, and Lacy ran for 103 yards.
Miami is now getting ready for a home championship game on January 19, 2026. This will bring in a lot of money for their program under the ACC’s revenue model, with a big $6 million payout.
