Miami Advances to National Championship After Thrilling Fiesta Bowl Win Over Ole Miss
In a nail-biting finish, Miami secured a spot in the national championship by defeating Ole Miss 31-27 in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Carson Beck, the Hurricanes’ quarterback, dashed for a crucial 3-yard touchdown with just 18 seconds left on the clock.
“We never flinched,” Beck said after the game. He completed 268 passing yards and found the end zone twice.
Ranked 10th, Miami (13-2) faced scrutiny for not playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. However, they proved their worth by taking down powerful teams like Texas A&M and Ohio State to reach the semifinals. They will now look ahead to the national title game on January 19 against either top-ranked Indiana or No. 5 Oregon.
Miami’s defense shone in the early stages, shutting down Ole Miss for three quarters. The Rebels, however, fought back in the fourth quarter. Malachi Toney, who had a standout game against Texas A&M, scored on a 36-yard screen pass, putting the Hurricanes in the lead.
After that, Ole Miss rallied, with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss finding Dae’Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown, making it a tense game. Beck, who previously won a national title as a backup for Georgia, led Miami downfield for the winning score with calm determination.
Miami’s head coach, Mario Cristobal, praised Beck’s dedication: “He’s hungry, driven, and all he wants is for his teammates to succeed.”
Despite a coaching change, Ole Miss showed impressive resilience this season. Lane Kiffin’s departure for LSU could have weakened the team, but it seemed to fuel their fire instead. They had already achieved the best season in school history, making it to the brink of the national championship.
The Rebels took the lead with a 21-yard field goal from Lucas Caneiro. However, Miami’s defense, known for its remarkable turnaround under coordinator Corey Hetherman, held firm. At one point, they held Ole Miss to negative yardage, underscoring their growth from a struggling defense to a formidable one.
In a thrilling moment, Ole Miss’s star running back, Kewan Lacy, dashed for a 73-yard touchdown in the second quarter, shaking Miami’s defense. Though Miami’s offensive strategy was methodical, they capitalized on a miscommunication in Ole Miss’s secondary for a 52-yard touchdown pass just before halftime.
Miami’s path mirrors their iconic 2001 championship team, and it looks like the Hurricanes are back in business on their way to reclaiming glory on home turf at Hard Rock Stadium. The excitement builds as fans anticipate the championship clash in just a few weeks.
