Miami edges Ole Miss in Fiesta Bowl, returning to national championship for first time in 23 years
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Miami QB Carson Beck scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds to go, putting the Hurricanes ahead and sending them to the College Football Playoff National Championship
Jan 9, 2026 at 12:01 am ET • 1 min read
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- No. 10 seed Miami is headed home to play for a national championship after continuing its unlikely postseason run with a thrilling 31-27 win over No. 6 seed Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night.
The Hurricanes will face either No. 1 seed Indiana or No. 5 seed Oregon on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium as they chase their first national title since the 2001 season.
After sneaking into the 12-team College Football Playoff as the final at-large team, Miami delivered its third straight gritty postseason victory over a higher-seeded opponent. This one required even more late-game heroics, as quarterback Carson Beck engineered a game-winning drive over the final 3:13.
Beck capped the march with a 3-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining. It was his first rushing touchdown since a Week 3 win over South Florida and it capped off a 15-play, 75-yard drive that will live in Miami lore.
Miami overcame 10 penalties and a costly interception to win a game it largely controlled but never fully put away. The Hurricanes held the ball for 23 more minutes than Ole Miss but struggled to shake a persistent Rebels team.
Ole Miss briefly seized the lead when quarterback Trinidad Chambliss connected with Dae'Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown with 3:13 remaining. The Rebels, however, left too much time for Beck and a Miami offense that finally wore them down when it mattered most.
Ole Miss still had one final opportunity, driving to Miami's 35-yard line in the closing seconds. Chambliss' last pass fell incomplete in the back of the end zone as time expired.
Freshman Malachi Toney also made his mark. He turned a short flat route into a 36-yard touchdown with 5:04 remaining to give Miami a 24-19 lead. Toney finished with five catches for 81 yards. Keenan Marion added seven receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown, matching a career high in catches.
Beck finished 23 of 37 for 268 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
By the numbers
Miami
Advanced to the CFP National Championship Game for the first time in school history
Will play in the 2026 CFP National Championship Game on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
First team in the BCS/CFP era (1998-present) to play a national championship game in its home stadium
Hard Rock Stadium has been Miami's home venue since 2008
Set a school record with 13 wins
Seeking its sixth national championship (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001)
First Fiesta Bowl win in school history (previously 0-4)
Lowest-seeded team (No. 10) to reach the CFP National Championship Game
Second ACC program to reach the CFP title game, joining Clemson (four appearances)
Won against an AP-ranked opponent in each of its last four games
Recorded seven AP-ranked wins this season, most in school history
Won five straight games vs. SEC opponents, including a 3-0 mark this season
First national championship game appearance since the 2002 season (loss to Ohio State)
Carson Beck, QB
23-for-37 passing for 268 yards, two touchdowns and one interception
Added the game-winning 3-yard rushing touchdown
Logged his eighth career fourth-quarter comeback as a starter
Game-winning rushing TD was his second of the season and first since Week 3 vs. South Florida
Threw a career-high 29 touchdown passes this season, tied for second-most in school history
Career record of 37-5 as an FBS starter, including 16-3 vs. AP-ranked teams
Fifth quarterback in FBS history to win at least 36 games over a three-year span
First QB since Marcus Mariota (2012-14) to reach that mark
Tied with Matt Leinart for second-most wins (37) over a three-year span
Tied for second-most wins vs. AP-ranked teams since 2010
Took a season-high four sacks
Mark Fletcher Jr., RB
22 carries for 133 yards
Rushed for 395 yards in the 2025 CFP, second-most in a single CFP postseason
Malachi Toney, WR
Five receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown
Finished the season with 99 receptions, most in Miami history
Set the ACC freshman record for receptions
Miami: Fiesta Bowl History
Season Opponent Result
2025 Ole Miss W 31-27
2002 Ohio State L, 31-24 (2 OT)
1993 Arizona L, 29-0
1986 Penn State L, 14-10
1984 UCLA L, 39-37
Most QB Wins vs. AP-Ranked Teams Since 2010
Quarterback Wins
Jalen Hurts 17
Carson Beck 16
Kevin Hogan 16
Baker Mayfield 15
Most QB Wins Over a Three-Year Span (FBS)
Excludes overlapping streaks
Quarterback Years Wins
Kellen Moore 2009-11 38
Carson Beck 2023-25 37
Matt Leinart 2003-05 37
Marcus Mariota 2012-14 36
AJ McCarron 2011-13 36
Ole Miss
Seven-game winning streak snapped
Eight-game streak of scoring at least 30 points ended, previously the longest active streak in FBS
Pete Golding suffered his first loss as an FBS head coach (2-1)
Trinidad Chambliss, QB
23-for-37 passing for 277 yards and one touchdown
Suffered his first career loss in the NCAA playoffs (6-1)
Kewan Lacy, RB
11 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown
Recorded a career-long 73-yard rushing touchdown
The SEC will not be represented in the national championship game for the third straight season
That follows eight consecutive appearances by SEC teams, including six national titles
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Carson Beck builds his legacy
Miami quarterback Carson Beck led a touchdown drive for the history books with the game on the line in the final three minutes. The sixth-year senior has been through his ups and downs, which included a highly publicized divorce with Georgia after last season. But after recovering from elbow surgery and acclimating to his new surroundings in south Florida, Beck is emerging as one of the top stories of this postseason.
Before running in for the decisive 3-yard touchdown run, Beck hit Keelan Marion for a 17-yard strike on a pivotal third-and-10. A couple plays later, he found Marion again for an 11-yard pickup to establish the Hurricanes inside the Ole Miss 8-yard line. It was a masterful drive and one that will fundamentally alter Beck's college legacy for the better.
Malachi Toney makes his mark
ACC Rookie of the Year Malachi Toney left his imprint with two critical third-down conversions and a highlight reel-touchdown in the fourth quarter. The undersized speedster is a terror in the open field, and Carson Beck got him the football on a basic flat route after Toney went in motion. With just over five minutes remaining, Toney did the rest, scampering 36 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.
It was just the last of several key grabs. A pair of Rebels had Toney wrapped up on a third-down play early in the second quarter before he broke free for a critical first down. Instead of settling for a field goal, the Hurricanes surged ahead 10-7 a few plays later on a 4-yard touchdown run from CharMar Brown.
Toney made another massive play to open the third quarter. Faced with a third-and-7, the Hurricanes were staring at a potential three-and-out when Toney took a tunnel screen and scampered for a 19-yard gain. The drive didn't lead to points, but it kept a fatiguing Ole Miss defense on the field for another two minutes.
A devastating end for Ole Miss
The best season in Ole Miss history nearly got extended for one more game as the Rebels kept bouncing back against a physically imposing Miami team that made everything tough. The Rebels pieced together some offense after opening with a pair of three-and-outs. But eventually Ole Miss wore down against a Miami team that converted on 11 of 19 third downs and on both of its fourth-down attempts. Those conversions, coupled with a Miami rushing attack that totaled 191 yards, helped the Hurricanes control the football for over 41 minutes.
Even still, the Rebels held Miami out of the end zone for nearly two full periods until the back half of the fourth quarter. That's when the dam broke as Miami ticked off a pair of 75-yard touchdown drives. Had more time been left on the clock in the end, Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels appeared ready to answer just as they answered so often throughout the game and the season. But they simply ran out of time at the end of a historic season for a program that has shed its reputation as a little brother of the SEC.
Miami survives Fiesta Bowl thriller to reach title game
Final: Miami 31, Ole Miss 27
No. 10 seed Miami will be headed home to play for a national championship after continuing its unlikely postseason run with a thrilling 31-27 win over No. 6 seed Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night. The Hurricanes will play either No. 1 seed Indiana or No. 5 seed Oregon on Jan. 19 inside Hard Rock Stadium as they pursue their first title since the 2001 season.
After sneaking into the 12-team CFP field as the final at-large team, the 'Canes continued their unexpected run with a third straight gutty playoff win over a better-seeded team. This one required even more late heroics than the first two, as quarterback Carson Beck led a game-winning drive over the final 3:13.
Beck scampered in for a 3-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining to put Miami on top. It was his first rushing touchdown since a Week 3 win over South Florida, and it capped a 15-play drive covering 75 yards that will go down in Miami lore.
Miami overcame 10 penalties and a costly interception to win a game that it largely dominated but never truly controlled. The Hurricanes commanded a 23-minute edge in time of possession but couldn't shake a persistent group of Rebels easily.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss hit Dae'Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown with 3:13 remaining to put Ole Miss ahead 27-24. But the Rebels left too much time for Beck, and a Miami offense that was finally able to wear the Rebels down when it mattered most.
Even still, the Rebels got one last chance, driving all the way to Miami's 35-yard line in the final seconds. But Chambliss' final pass fell incomplete in the back of the end zone as time expired.
Malachi Toney also made his imprint on the game. The Miami freshman made the latest game-changing play in his phenomenal debut campaign by taking a basic flat route 36 yards for a touchdown with 5:04 remaining to put Miami ahead 24-19. He finished with five receptions for 81 yards. Keenan Marion also came through in the clutch by matching a career-high with seven receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Beck finished 23 of 37 for 268 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Carson Beck puts Miami ahead
0:18 4Q: Miami 31, Ole Miss 27
Carson Beck scampered in for a 3-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining to put Miami on top. It was his first rushing touchdown since a Week 3 win over South Florida, and it capped a 15-play drive covering 75 yards that will go down in Miami lore. The Hurricanes finally broke a weary Ole Miss defense with the game on the line.
Two-minute timeout
2:00 4Q: Ole Miss 27, Miami 24
Are you not entertained? Miami will face a third-and-8 from its own 39-yard line coming out of the two-minute timeout. This game has been back and forth all night, and now Carson Beck has a chance to make himself a Miami legend. Malachi Toney has been unbelievable tonight, but Keelan Marion has also produced some big catches. Huge sequence for offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson coming up as a spot in the national championship game hangs in the balance.
Trinidad Chambliss answers
3:13 4Q: Ole Miss 27, Miami 24
Trinidad Chambliss hit Dae'Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown strike on a perfectly executed out route from the tight end. That was a lightning-quick response from the Rebels, who were aided by yet another costly Miami penalty. Antonie Jaboree was called for pass interference on a third-and-8 play near midfield to give new life to the drive.
Malachi Toney does it again
5:04 4Q: Miami 24, Ole Miss 19
Freshman phenom Malachi Toney just made a game-changing play, which is no surprise if you've followed Miami this season. The undersized speedster is a terror in the open field, and Carson Beck got him the football on a basic flat route after Toney went in motion. He did the rest, scampering 36 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. He's up to 81 yards receiving and has made some huge grabs at various critical junctures in this game.
Miami's defense holds
7:00 4Q: Ole Miss 19, Miami 17
Miami's defense came up with a big stand inside the 10-yard line, forcing Ole Miss to settle for a 21-yard Lucas Carneiro field goal to make it 19-17. That was a 14-play, 86-yard drive that took 5:19 off the clock. Did it get the Ole Miss defense enough rest to come out and produce another big stop? We'll see the Hurricanes are still dominating time of possession by more than 20 minutes.
Ole Miss driving, aided by penalties
8:00 4Q: Miami 17, Ole Miss 16
A targeting penalty and a late hit on consecutive plays are aiding an Ole Miss drive, which has reached the red zone, and have added to a problematic tally for the Hurricanes, who have been whistled nine times for 67 yards. The Rebels have also notched their first two third-down conversions of the game after starting this series on their own 10-yard line. Kewan Lacy is running the football again for the first time since his 73-yard scamper to open the second quarter.
Ole Miss grabs the momentum heading into the fourth quarter
End 3Q: Miami 17, Ole Miss 16
Ole Miss finally won a quarter with a 3-0 advantage in the third period to pull within a point of Miami.
Miami has dropped at least four interceptions in this game, which has hampered it from potentially pulling away in a game its offensive line has dominated.
The Rebels picked up 82 yards compared to Miami's 109 in the third quarter and only ran the ball once. Lucas Carneiro was 1 of 2 on field goals, doinking both kicks off the left upright. Ole Miss held the ball for only 3:54 in the third quarter, and still, the Rebels have to be feeling good about potentially winning this game.
The DOINK is good and Ole Miss is inching closer
Late 3Q: Miami 17, Ole Miss 16
Lucas Carneiro and the left upright have apparently kissed and made up. Ole Miss' incredible kicker just doinked in a 54-yard field goal after previously missing earlier in the half on a doinked ball off the same upright.
We've got a beautiful game here at the Fiesta Bowl, with the winner headed to the national championship
