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The Miami Hurricanes are headed to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, coming off a narrow victory over Ole Miss, 31-27, in their latest postseason contest.
The Hurricanes will now await the winner of the other semifinal between the Indiana Hoosiers and Oregon Ducks to determine who they will play on Jan. 19. But Miami will do so on its home turf, with the National Championship Game being played at Hard Rock Stadium – the site of their home games.
The game started slowly for both teams, with only Miami getting on the board in the first quarter with a field goal on their opening drive of 13 plays. But the fireworks came from there for the Rebels thanks to the speed of running back Kewan Lacy.
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Charmar Brown of the Miami (FL) Hurricanes celebrates scoring in the first quarter of the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Steve Limentani/ISI Pictures)
On the second play of the second quarter, Lacy took off on a run, found a seam and ran for a 73-yard touchdown to go up 7-3 after the extra point.
But the game was back and forth for a long time, including a Hurricanes drive as quarterback Carson Beck led the way on a 15-play touchdown drive with CharMar Brown scoring from four yards out.
The game ended at 10 apiece when Beck decided to dish it out to Keelan Marion, and it was worth the risk. Marion ran for a 52-yard touchdown to help Miami go up 17-13 at halftime.
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The third quarter was uneventful for both teams, as their opener resulted in one goal being missed. After Beck challenged, the Rebels were able to cut the score to 17-16 in favor of the Hurricanes who went to the fourth division for years.
There was no power play when it mattered in the final 15 minutes, as Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss got his team down just enough to take a 19-17 lead with a field goal.
But Malachi Toney’s speed changed Miami’s scoreboard for the better, as he took a 36-yard screen to the house, capping a four-play, 75-yard turnaround for the Hurricanes shortly after Ole Miss took the lead.
Trinidad Chambliss of the Ole Miss Rebels celebrates a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the second quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
With a 24-19 lead and five minutes left in the game, Chambliss and the Rebels offense had plenty of time to regain the lead. He did just that, finding tight end Dae’Quan Wright 24 yards to send the Rebels faithful.
Ole Miss was looking to make it two in hopes of taking a three-point lead, and Chambliss passed again, finding a wide open Caleb Odom for the key score.
It was up to Beck and the Miami offense to keep the game alive by tying the game at 27 apiece. On a crucial third-and-10 just inside field goal range, Beck was confident in his pass to Marion for a mid-range recovery. Another pass to Marion made it a first-and-goal, and it was clear Miami wasn’t trying to force overtime. They wanted to conquer it all.
How fitting that Beck, scanning the field, found a seam to his left and raced into the paint for the game-winner with 18 seconds left.
But things got interesting at the end, when Ole Miss went 40 yards with seconds to go to set up a Hail Mary for the win. Chambliss had a chance to loft a pass into the end zone, and although it hit a teammate’s hand, it came up incomplete in Miami’s victory.
Carson Beck of the Miami Hurricanes passes the ball against the Ole Miss Rebels in the first quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
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In the box score, Beck was 23-of-37 for 268 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Marion was a key player in the win with seven catches for 114 yards, while Mark Fletcher Jr. he set the tone in the ground game with 133 yards rushing on 22 carries. Toney also had 81 yards receiving for Miami.
At Ole Miss, Chambliss also went 23-of-37 for 277 yards with a touchdown to Wright, who finished with 64 yards on three catches. De’Zhaun Stribling was five for 77 through the air, while Lacy ran for 103 yards on 11 carries.
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