CFP news: Miami beats Ole Miss to earn spot in national championship game
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The Miami Hurricanes are headed to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game and narrowly beat Ole Miss, 31-27, in the all-time season-ending contest.
The Hurricanes will now wait for the winner of the other semifinal between the Indiana Hoosiers and Oregon Ducks to see who they will play on January 19. However, Miami will do so at home, and the National Championship Game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium, where their home games will be played.
The match started slowly for both teams; In the 13-play opening drive, only Miami got on the scoreboard by making a field goal in the first quarter. But the fireworks took off from there in the Rebels’ favor, thanks to the speed of running back Kewan Lacy.
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Charmar Brown of the Miami (FL) Hurricanes celebrates a run in the first quarter of the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at State Farm Stadium on January 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Steve Limentani/ISI Photos)
On just the second play of the second quarter, Lacy took off racing, finding a seam and launching a 73-yard touchdown run to take a 7-3 lead after the extra point.
But that game went back and forth for a long stretch, including a Hurricanes drive that saw quarterback Carson Beck lead a 15-play touchdown streak with a rushing score from four yards out by CharMar Brown.
The match was deadlocked at 10 apiece when Beck decided to announce the match to Keelan Marion and it was worth the risk. Marion kicked a 52-yard field goal to help Miami take a 17-13 lead at halftime.
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The third quarter was a strange period for both teams, as the opening drives each resulted in missed shots. Later, with Beck’s interception, the Rebels were able to cut the lead to 17-16 and the Hurricanes long headed into the fourth quarter.
There was no shortage of electric plays when it mattered in the final 15 minutes, as Rebels point guard Trinidad Chambliss put his team behind just enough to take a 19-17 lead with a field goal.
But Malachi Toney’s pace changed Miami’s scoreboard in the best way possible; He went 36 yards from goal and capped a four-play, 75-yard answering drive for the Hurricanes just after Ole Miss took the lead.
Trinidad Chambliss of the Ole Miss Rebels celebrates a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter of the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 8, 2026. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Leading 24-19 with five minutes left in the game, Chambliss and the Rebels’ offense had enough time to retake the lead. He did just that, finding reliable tight end Dae’Quan Wright for 24 yards to send the Rebel faithful ballistic.
Ole Miss looked to score two points in hopes of building a three-point lead, and Chambliss again succeeded, finding an open Caleb Odom for the key score.
It was up to Beck and the Miami offense to keep the game alive, at least at 27 apiece. On a crucial third-and-10, Beck was confident of getting into range by throwing a pass to Marion. Another pass to Marion led to first-and-goal, and it was clear Miami wasn’t trying to force overtime. They wanted to win it all.
How fitting that Beck, scanning the field, found a seam to his left and raced into the paint to score the game-winning goal with 18 seconds left.
But eventually things took a fascinating turn; Ole Miss went 40 yards in just a few seconds, setting up the Hail Mary for the win. Chambliss had room to pass the pass into the end zone, and although the ball hit a teammate’s hand, it fell incomplete for the Miami victory.
Carson Beck of the Miami Hurricanes throws a pass against the Ole Miss Rebels during the first quarter of the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 8, 2026. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
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In the box score, Beck was 23-of-37 for 268 yards with two passing touchdowns and one interception. Marion was a key player in the victory, along with Mark Fletcher Jr., with seven catches for 114 yards. He set the tone for the ground game by rushing for 133 yards on 22 carries. Toney also accounted for 81 receiving yards for Miami.
For Ole Miss, Chambliss finished 23-of-37 for 277 yards with 64 yards on three grabs with a touchdown pass to Wright. De’Zhaun Stribling went 5 for 77 through the air, while Lacy rushed for 103 yards on 11 carries.
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