GLENDALE, Ariz. — The 2026 Fiesta Bowl delivered a dramatic finish Thursday night as Miami rallied late to defeat Ole Miss 31–27 at State Farm Stadium, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff national championship game. The victory sends the Hurricanes to the title game for the first time in nearly 25 years and capped one of the most compelling postseason runs of the expanded playoff era.
Played before a crowd of nearly 68,000 and broadcast nationally on ESPN, the semifinal matchup featured multiple lead changes and a tense final minute that kept fans on edge until the final snap. Miami, seeded 10th in the 12-team CFP field, improved to 13–2 on the season, while Ole Miss finished its campaign at 13–2.
Ole Miss struck early, using explosive plays to build momentum in the first half. The Rebels’ offense moved efficiently behind quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who found success attacking Miami’s secondary and extending drives. Ole Miss carried a narrow lead into halftime and appeared in control deep into the third quarter.
Miami responded with steady adjustments on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Carson Beck led several methodical drives, mixing short passes with timely runs to keep the Rebels’ defense off balance. The Hurricanes gradually closed the gap, setting the stage for a decisive fourth quarter.
With less than a minute remaining and Miami trailing by four, Beck engineered the game-winning drive. Facing mounting pressure, he moved the offense downfield before finishing the possession himself with a three-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left. Ole Miss had one final opportunity, but Chambliss’ desperation pass into the end zone fell incomplete as time expired.
Beck finished the night with 268 passing yards, two touchdown throws and the decisive rushing score, earning offensive MVP honors. Miami’s defense also played a crucial role late, forcing Ole Miss into long-yardage situations and limiting big plays in the final quarter.
For Ole Miss, the loss was a disappointing end to an otherwise historic season. The Rebels reached the CFP semifinals for the first time and were within seconds of advancing to the national championship game. Chambliss threw for more than 250 yards and accounted for multiple scoring drives, but the Rebels were unable to close out the game.
The win represents a major milestone for Miami, which last played for a national championship during the 2001 season. Under head coach Mario Cristobal, the Hurricanes navigated a challenging postseason path, including victories over Texas A&M and Ohio State, to reach the sport’s biggest stage.
Miami will now advance to the College Football Playoff national championship game on January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Their opponent will be Indiana, which earned the top seed in the playoff and advanced through the opposite semifinal.
The Fiesta Bowl once again lived up to its reputation as one of college football’s premier postseason stages, offering a high-stakes showdown, late-game drama and a defining moment for a resurgent program. As Miami prepares for its first title opportunity in a generation, Thursday night’s comeback in the desert will stand as a defining chapter in the Hurricanes’ return to national prominence.
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