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GLENDALE, Ariz. — In a Fiesta Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal that swung violently with momentum and explosive plays on both sides, Ole Miss traded blows with Miami for four quarters before a late touchdown sent the Rebels’ storybook season to a heartbreaking end in the desert.
The Rebels reached the program’s first College Football Playoff and set a school record with 13 wins in a season defined by blocking out the noise. With Pete Golding firmly at the helm, Ole Miss expects to be in the national spotlight again in the years to follow.
“I will just remember how they embraced each other. There was a lot going on the last month — they took the team and guys like these two guys showed up every day to work and made sure everyone else did. It’s the laughs, the smiles, they grew together. They’re going to be talking about this for a long time.”
~ Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding on this Ole Miss team
Game recap
Much like the beginning of the Sugar Bowl, the Ole Miss offense started this one slow. The Rebels went three-and-out quickly as pressure got to Trinidad Chambliss in a hurry.
Miami’s offense came out of the gates in rhythm, playing at its own pace as Carson Beck worked the short passing game all the way into the red zone. Although the Ole Miss defense has struggled against the run this season, improvement has shown each week. The Rebels stood tall in the red zone, thanks to a Kam Franklin tackle for loss on third down that forced a field goal.
Still struggling to block the Hurricanes’ fierce pass rush, the Ole Miss offense punted once again. After a couple of first-down pickups, Miami’s offense stalled and the Rebels forced their first punt of the game in return.
Down 3-0 to start the second quarter, Ole Miss was in desperate need of positives after posting -1 yard of offense in the opening frame. The call for points was answered in a hurry, as Kewan Lacy took the opening play of the quarter 73 yards to pay dirt, giving the Rebels a 7-3 lead.
Despite dealing with an injury, Lacy rushed for 100 yards for the seventh time this season, carrying the ball 11 times for 103 yards.
Miami responded with a seven-minute drive fueled by strong runs from Mark Fletcher Jr. and short passes from Beck. After pounding the ball down to the goal line, CharMar Brown found the end zone from four yards out to recapture the Hurricanes’ lead and make it a 10-7 game.
Following the long touchdown run, Lacy was checked out on the sideline for a hamstring injury, bringing Logan Diggs into the game. Diggs picked up a first down with both a reception and a rush, then benefited from a roughing-the-passer penalty that put the Rebels in Miami territory.
Chambliss connected with Harrison Wallace III for a 20-yard gain right after the penalty to put Ole Miss near the red zone, but the drive stalled there. Lucas Carneiro drilled a 42-yard field goal to tie the game at 10.
Just as it appeared the Rebels were flipping momentum, Beck found a wide-open receiver on a critical third-and-manageable to keep a late-half drive alive. Two plays later, Beck extended the play and found Keelan Marion behind busted Ole Miss coverage for a 52-yard touchdown.
The Rebels felt Lacy’s absence on the ensuing drive, running the wildcat with Diggs on third-and-short only to get stuffed and forced to punt. Miami had just over a minute to work with, but Princewill Umanmielen sacked Beck on the first play to put the Hurricanes behind the sticks. Miami played conservatively and punted back to Ole Miss with under a minute remaining in the half.
Needing something positive before the break, Chambliss picked up 30 yards on four short completions to multiple receivers. After clocking the ball on the Miami side of the field, Chambliss narrowly avoided an interception before the Rebels settled for three. With 15 seconds left, Carneiro booted a 58-yard field goal down the middle — his career long — to cut Miami’s lead to 17-13.
Much like the first half, the Hurricanes picked up key first downs to extend the opening drive of the third quarter. Malachi Toney put Miami on the Ole Miss side of the field with a screen, but an intentional grounding call on Beck stalled the drive. Carter Davis missed the ensuing 51-yard field goal wide right, giving the Rebels the ball at their own 33.
Ole Miss moved into Miami territory on the first play of the next drive, a 21-yard back-shoulder completion from Chambliss to De’Zhaun Stribling. A 12-yard catch by Cayden Lee followed, but three straight incompletions led to another long field goal attempt. Carneiro’s 51-yard try hit the upright and bounced no good.
The Hurricanes went right back to the ground game. Fletcher Jr. and Brown powered a seven-minute drive down to the Ole Miss 19-yard line. A false start created third-and-long, and Franklin batted Beck’s pass into the air, allowing Kapena Gushiken to come away with the game’s first turnover.
With three minutes left in the third quarter and momentum on their side, Chambliss orchestrated a drive featuring four completions for 49 yards to the Miami 37. Pressure and a pair of incompletions brought Carneiro back out, and his 54-yard attempt hit the upright again but went through, cutting the deficit to one.
The Ole Miss defense delivered when it mattered most, sacking Beck on back-to-back plays to force a punt. Suntarine Perkins got there first before combining with Will Echoles on the second sack.
As crunch time began, the Rebels turned back to Lacy despite the tweaked hamstring. After a 19-yard completion from Chambliss to Dae’Quan Wright, Lacy carried Ole Miss into Hurricane territory. Chambliss later found Lee for an 11-yard gain on third down, and a targeting penalty on Keionte Scott moved the Rebels to the 21.
“He’s a special person. He’s a great guy to be around — he’s the best running back I’ve ever played with.”
~ Chambliss said of Kewan Lacy after the game
A late hit on a short Lacy run was another costly Miami penalty, putting Ole Miss on the goal line. The Hurricanes’ defense held firm, stuffing multiple runs and forcing a field goal. Carneiro drilled the 21-yard attempt to give the Rebels their first lead since early in the second quarter.
Needing a stop, Ole Miss instead watched Beck and the Hurricanes respond. A pass interference penalty moved Miami near midfield, then Fletcher Jr. ripped off a 17-yard run to the Ole Miss 35. Beck found Toney in space on the next play, and the freshman did the rest for a 36-yard touchdown to reclaim the lead.
Down 24-19, Chambliss needed a drive reminiscent of the Sugar Bowl’s fourth quarter. He opened with a 21-yard completion to Wright, and another pass interference penalty kept the drive alive. Chambliss scrambled for a long first down, then hit Wright wide open on the sideline for a 24-yard touchdown.
Ole Miss went for two, and Chambliss delivered a strike to Caleb Odom in the back of the end zone to make it 27-24 with three minutes remaining. Chambliss would finish the game with 277 yards, surpassing Jordan Ta’amu for the third most passing yards (3,937) in single season program history.
“I’ve had a soft spot in my heart since he got here because he’s a D2 boy. He works his butt off. He’s a good teammate. You want to be around him because of who he is. When he was running with the 2’s (vs. the No. 1 defense), shit, we couldn’t stop his ass. It’s great to see good things happen for good people. He’s set a precedent here.”
~ Golding on what Chambliss has meant to him
Miami never lost its rhythm. Although Ole Miss forced a third down earlier in the drive, a facemask penalty extended it, and Beck converted two more third downs through the air. An 11-yard completion to Marion set up first-and-goal, and Beck later scrambled into the end zone from three yards out with 18 seconds left.
Chambliss tried to create one final opportunity with one timeout remaining. Completions of 40 yards combined to Lee and Stribling moved Ole Miss to the Miami 35, but a Hail Mary and hand-fighting as time expired ended with incomplete and no pass interference call, bringing the Rebels’ magical season to a close.
“It’s been a great ride. I wouldn’t want to do it with any other players, coaches — I hope I get to do it next year — this team sacrificed a lot to get to this point. It’s been truly special.”
~ Chambliss said after the CFP eliminating loss
Miami dominated several statistical categories, running 88 plays to Ole Miss’ 60 and holding the ball for 41 minutes to the Rebels’ 18. The Hurricanes converted 11 of 19 third downs, compared to 2 of 10 for Ole Miss, and totaled 459 yards of offense.
Despite the loss, the Ole Miss defense recorded five tackles for loss and four sacks. TJ Dottery led the Rebels with 11 tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss, while Perkins added 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Miami will return home to Hard Rock Stadium to face the winner of Indiana vs. Oregon. The 2026 national championship will be played Monday, Jan. 19.
Up next
Golding and the Rebels will turn the page to the 2026 offseason after a program best 13-2 season. The transfer portal window is currently open and closes on Jan. 16; and the final high school signing day is coming up as well on Feb. 4.
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Kameron Wicker
Kam is an Ole Miss alumnus with a degree in Journalism. Even though he's from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn't stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He's a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. He currently resides in Gulf Shores, Alabama where he works full-time as a sports editor.
