GLENDALE, AZ — It came down to the final seconds, but the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes held off a last-gasp attempt from No. 6 Ole Miss to claim victory in the College Football Playoff Semifinals on Thursday night, 31-27.
Miami's Carson Beck ran the football in from three yards out for the go-ahead touchdown with :18 remaining in the 4th quarter. Ole Miss used what little time they had remaining to push the ball past midfield, but a last-gasp Hail Mary from Miami's 35-yard line would not connect, and the Hurricanes claimed victory.
Miami advances to the Hurricanes' first national championship appearance since 2003 with the win.
Beck finished the contest with 268 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on 23/37 passing. Mark Fletcher Jr. added 133 yards on the ground on 22 carries.
The Hurricanes trailed early when Ole Miss' Kewan Lacy scored a 73-yard touchdown to take a 7-3 lead in the 2nd quarter. Miami would take a 10-7 lead before the Rebels equalized with a field goal. Miami took a 17-13 lead into the half after Beck hit Keelan Marion for a 52-yard touchdown.
Miami Hurricanes in action at the Fiesta Bowl 2026
In the second half, both teams missed a field goal before Beck threw his lone interception. The Rebels capitalized with a 54-yard field goal to pull within one point, headed to the 4th quarter.
The two teams then proceeded to trade leads on four straight possessions to end the game. The Rebels' Caneiro nailed a 22-yarder to give Ole Miss a 19-17 edge before Beck threw a 36-yard touchdown to Malachi Toney to move the Hurricanes ahead 24-19. Ole Miss would retake the lead with three minutes left in the 4th quarter after Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss found Dae'Quan Wright for a 24-yard score. The subsequent 2-point conversion gave the Rebels a 27-24 lead with 3:13 to play.
With all the pressure on, Beck led his team on a 15-play, 75-yard drive for the go-ahead touchdown. Miami had to spend timeouts inside the 20-yard line, but Beck still scampered into the end zone from three yards out to give the Hurricanes the 31-27 victory.
Chambliss finished his night on 23/37 passing for 277 yards and a touchdown.
Miami advances to the final and awaits the winner of No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon. Kickoff in that matchup is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday night.
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