Last Updated 11:44 PM, January 08, 2026
Stan Becton

Miami escapes Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl

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CharMar Brown's FCS playoff highlights at NDSU
3:10
4:30 am, January 9, 2026

Final — Miami 31, Ole Miss 27

Miami is going to the national championship! The Hurricanes held off Ole Miss 31-27 to escape the Fiesta Bowl with a College Football Playoff semifinal win. And it all came down to this final play.

While there was some grabbing and some contact on that final play, no flags were thrown and Miami holds on for the win. Quarterback Carson Beck came up clutch with the game-winning touchdown run and finished with 268 yards through the air and a touchdown pass. Click or tap here for final stats.

Impressively, Miami made the national championship game without winning the ACC Championship as the last at-large team in as the No. 10 overall seed. The Hurricane win also keeps the SEC from the playing for a national title.

Miami will become the first team to play the CFP championship at its home stadium at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Hurricanes will play the winner of the second College Football Playoff game in the Peach Bowl, either No. 1 seed Indiana or No. 5 seed Oregon.

4:26 am, January 9, 2026

It all comes down to this

Trindad Chambliss threw a 23-yard pass and then a 17-yard pass to get Ole Miss to the 35-yard line with six seconds to play.

There's time for just about one play. Ole Miss needs a touchdown. It all comes down to this.

4:22 am, January 9, 2026

CARSON CINEMA! CANES IN FRONT

CARSON BECK! 

What a play! What a scramble! From three yards out, the Miami quarterback scramble for what appears to be the game-winning touchdown. 

Miami leads 31-27 with 18 seconds to play. Ole Miss is down four points with one timeout left.

4:14 am, January 9, 2026

The catch that wasn't

Football is a game of inches and that's no different tonight. Malachi Toney nearly had the catch of the year with a one-handed grab, but his foot landed out of bounds.

4:09 am, January 9, 2026

Two minutes left. It all comes down to this.

Two minutes. Three points.

Miami has the ball facing 3rd-and-8 from its own 39-yard-line. Obviously it's four-down territory from here. Miami's not in comfortable field goal range yet.

Remember Miami's kicker already missed a 51 yarder. The Hurricanes have to get inside the 30-yard line to be in range to tie.

4:02 am, January 9, 2026

Cardiac Chambliss! Ole Miss takes the late lead | 4Q - 3:13

After a pass interference penalty kept Ole Miss' drive alive on a failed 3rd-and-8, it was Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss' time to shine!

Chambliss dashed for 19-yard run on an option before finding tight end Dae'Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown pass two plays later. That put Ole Miss up 25-24.

The Rebels had to go for two. If not, a field goal could win Miami the game. Chambliss showed off his clutch gene again, finding Caleb Odom in the back of the end zone for the conversion.

Ole Miss leads 27-24 with just over three minutes to play.

3:55 am, January 9, 2026

This 18 year old is electric! Touchdown Canes!

Malachi Toney! The 18-year-old that's supposed to be in high school might've just had the play of the game. He just took a wide receiver screen 36 yards to the house, breaking tackles along the way. Toney has 76 yards after the catch on the day.

Miami leads 24-19 with 5:04 to play.

3:44 am, January 9, 2026

Penalties lead to points

Ole Miss made a 21-yard field goal to take the lead, but it wasn't without help.

Miami had a 15-yard targeting penalty from Xavier Lucas and a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty from David Blay that set up Ole Miss for 1st-and-goal.

Miami has nine penalties for 67 yards tonight.

After it all, Ole Miss leads 19-17 with seven minutes to play

3:27 am, January 9, 2026

Fourth quarter update — Miami 17, Ole Miss 16

Miami leads Ole Miss 17-16 with one quarter to play. Miami has been able to lean on running back Mark Fletcher with 110 rushing yards for 6.1 yards per carry. Yet, the Hurricanes went scoreless in the third quarter after a missed field goal and an interception.

Ole Miss still can't convert on third downs (0-for-7), but the defense has stepped up, getting its first sack of the game in the third quarter and an interception too. 

This one can go either way

See stats through three quarters below. Click or tap here for live stats

stats
3:22 am, January 9, 2026

Doink... but it's good 😳

Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro just kicked his third 50-plus-yard field goal attempt of the game. He drilled the first one from 58 yards, doinked his second one from 51 yards and missed but doinked his third kick from 54 yards and it went in.

We have a one-point game!

3:18 am, January 9, 2026

No way it happened again right? Well...

Four dropped interceptions. If you can't believe your eyes, I can't either. The Miami defense continues to let the ball slip through its hands. Wow!
3:12 am, January 9, 2026

Tip drill interception!

We have our first turnover of the Fiesta Bowl! Miami quarterback Carson Beck's pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and it landed in the hands of Kapena Gushiken for the interception. The play might prove to be pivotal as the Hurricanes were in field-goal range up four points before the turnover. 

Ole Miss will have the ball at its own 14-yard line down 17-13 with 3:19 to play in the third quarter.

2:59 am, January 9, 2026

Hurricanes Hot Potato 🥔

Not one, Not two, but three dropped interceptions for Miami today. The Hurricanes dropped an interception in the second quarter and it led to an Ole Miss field goal. Then in the third quarter, the Hurricanes dropped two interceptions on the same drive, with the third one looking like they were playing keep away.

2:25 am, January 9, 2026

Halftime update — Miami 17, Ole Miss 13

Miami leads Ole Miss 17-13 after one half of play. 30 minutes separate the Hurricanes and Rebels for their first CFP national championship game berth. Here's what to look forward to the second half.

Questions to watch entering the second half

  • How bad is Kewan Lacy hurt?
    • Lacy hasn't played since breaking out for his 73-yard rushing touchdown. Will he return?
  • Will Miami cut down its penalties?
    • Miami has been penalized four times for 34 yards. That's a massive difference from Ole Miss' two penalties for four yards. Penalties have kept the Rebels in the came.
  • Can Ole Miss convert a third down?
    • The Rebels are 0-5 on third down in the first half.
  • How long will Miami control the time of possession?
    • Miami held the ball for 22:44 to Ole Miss' 7:16. While Ole Miss' time of possession is skewed from a 73-yard touchdown, the Hurricanes have still controlled the time of possession.

Leading vs. trailing

  • Ole Miss has only trailed two games entering halftime. After a 24-20 deficit to Florida, the Rebels scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win that game. In the CFP quarterfinal, the Rebels trailed Georgia 21-12, but scored three touchdowns on its first three drives of the second half to take the lead.
  • Miami has had a halftime lead in 11 of 14 games, winning 10. The Hurricanes lost to SMU in overtime.

Miami will open the second half with the ball, looking to build upon its four-point lead.

See first half stats below. Click or tap here for live stats

stats
2:20 am, January 9, 2026

His name is Lucas Carneiro and he hits DINGERS | 2Q - 0:11

There's NFL kickers that struggle to make 50-plus yard kicks. Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro just made a 58-yard field goal. In the last two playoff games — with high stakes mind you —Carneiro made kicks of 55, 56 and now 58 yards.