Canes Rally Past Rebels, Advance to CFP Championship Game
GLENDALE, Ariz. — In an instant college football classic, the Miami Hurricanes executed a touchdown drive for the ages and in the process exorcised some desert demons.
Their reward? One more game back home for a chance to capture the program’s sixth national championship.
No. 10 Miami defeated No. 6 Ole Miss 31-27 Thursday night in the College Football College Football Playoff semifinals at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.
The Canes improved to 13-2, while the Rebels concluded their season at 13-2. Miami advances to play the winner of tomorrow’s Indiana-Oregon Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl semifinal game in the CFP National Championship on January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium. It was the Canes’ first Fiesta Bowl win in five tries.
After Ole Miss had rallied to take a 27-24 lead, quarterback Carson Beck led the Canes on a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, capping it with a three-yard rushing score with 18 seconds remaining. The game featured four lead changes in the final seven minutes.
Beck, the Fiesta Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player, completed 23 of 37 passes for 268 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Running back Mark Fletcher, Jr., continued his remarkable postseason with 133 yards on 22 carries, eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season. Fellow back Marty Brown rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Keelan Marion hauled in a team-high seven passes for 114 yards, and Malachi Toney did more Malachi Toney things, catching five passes for 81 yards and another acrobatic score.
Miami outgained Ole Miss 459-398 in total yards, ran 88 plays and held the ball for more than 41 minutes. The Canes converted 11 of 19 third-down opportunities.
Safety Jakobe Thomas, the Fiesta Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player, paced the Canes with five tackles and two passes defensed, while linebacker Mohamed Toure posted four tackles and a sack. Miami held the Rebels to just 2 of 10 on third down.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss completed 23 of 37 passes for 277 yards and one touchdown. Running back Kewan Lacy carried 11 times for 103 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown. Tight end Dae’Quan Wright caught three passes for 64 yards and a score. Linebacker TJ Dottery paced the Rebels with 11 tackles. Defensive ends Kam Franklin and Suntarine Perkins each recorded seven stops.
The Rebels took the ball to open the game and Miami’s defense forced a quick three-and-out. Miami took over at its own 41 and moved the chains before facing a 4th and 2 at Ole Miss 43. Fletcher fought his way for three yards to keep the drive alive.
Beck connected with Brown to pick up another first down, but Franklin stuffed Toney on a 3rd and 3 run. Carter Davis booted a 38-yard field goal to give the Canes a 3-0 lead.
The Rebels went three-and-out again but two penalties thwarted Miami’s ensuing drive and the Canes punted the ball back to Ole Miss, who took over at its 20 as the first quarter came to a close.
On the first play of the second quarter, Lacy burst through a hole in the left side and raced 73 yards to the end zone to give the Rebels a 7-3 lead. It was the first time this season Miami’s defense had surrendered a touchdown of 40 yards or more and the first time the Canes had trailed in a game since the regular season finale at Pittsburgh.
Beck moved the Canes past midfield and on 3rd and 7 from the Rebels 39 he hit tight end Elijah Lofton across the middle for 15 yards. Three plays later Toney pulled a Houdini act to take a short pass and gain eight yards to the Ole Miss 13. Fletcher carried three times to set up first and goal at the two-yard line. Brown lost yardage on the initial snap but then bulled his way into the end zone from four yards out. The 15-play, 75-yard drive took 7:41 off the clock and gave the Canes a 10-7 lead.
Miami was flagged for roughing the passer, and then Chambliss completed a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Harrison Wallace. But the Canes’ defense steadied from there and Lucas Carneiro kicked a 42-yard field goal to tie the game at 10.
Beck went back to work, connecting with Marion for 14 yards to convert a third down to the Miami 44. Two plays later he looked deep for Marion, who cradled the pass and glided into the end zone for a 52-yard touchdown. The Canes had a seven-point lead with 2:18 left in the first half.
The teams traded punts, and the Rebels reached the Miami 40 with 16 seconds remaining. Carneiro drilled a 58-yarder, cutting the Canes’ lead to 17-13 heading into the locker room.
Beck hit Toney for 19 yards to kickstart Miami’s opening drive of the second half, and Fletcher followed with a 19-yard run. But an intentional grounding call on Beck stalled the drive and Davis missed a 51-yard field goal wide right.
Ole Miss took over and Chambliss connected with wide receivers De’Zhaun Stribling and Cayden Lee on consecutive passes for 33 yards to the Miami 34. But three incompletions followed as Carneiro hit the right upright from 51 yards out.
Beck picked up a first down with his feet, and later scrambled 11 yards to set up 4th and 2 from the Rebels 31. Brown picked up the first down with a nine-yard run to move the chains again. But three plays later, Franklin tipped Beck’s pass at the line of scrimmage and safety Kapena Gushiken picked it off. The Rebels got the ball back at their 15. Chambliss marched Ole Miss down to the Miami 37, and Carneiro was summoned again. This time he banked in a 54-yard field goal off the left upright and the Canes’ lead was down to a point.
Fletcher opened the next drive with a 15-yard rush, and Toney followed with a catch-and-run of 12 yards into Rebels territory. But Perkins corralled Beck in the backfield on back-to-back plays, and Ole Miss got the ball back at its 10-yard line. Chambliss connected with Wright for 19 yards to give the Rebels some breathing room. Then on 3rd and 9 from the Canes 47, Chambliss threw a laser to Lee for 11 yards. Cornerback Xavier Lucas was called for targeting, which moved the ball all the way to the 20-yard line. Another personal foul penalty on defensive tackle David Blay gave the Rebels first and goal from the eight-yard line. But Miami’s defense held and Carneiro’s fourth field goal – this one from 21 yards – gave Ole Miss a 19-17 lead with seven minutes left in the game.
The Canes drew a pass interference penalty on the next snap. Beck completed an eight-yard pass to wide receiver CJ Daniels, and Fletcher raced around the right side for 17 yards to the Rebels 35. Two plays later, Beck threw a quick out to Toney and the freshman danced his way through the secondary 36 yards to the end zone. Miami had a 24-19 lead.
Chambliss found Wright for 21 yards and a pass interference call moved the ball to the Miami 45. Chambliss scrambled for 19 yards and two plays later found Wright in the end zone from 24 yards out. The Rebels converted on the ensuing two-point play and had a 27-24 lead with 3:13 remaining.
The Rebels were flagged for a face mask to help Miami convert on third down and move the ball past midfield. On 3rd and 6 from the 42, Beck connected with Daniels for seven yards. Three plays later Beck found Marion across the middle for 17 yards and hit him again for 11 yards down to the eight-yard line. The Rebels called timeout with 31 seconds on the clock. Brown rushed for five yards and the Canes called their second timeout.
Beck dropped back, surveyed the scene and saw an opening on the left side. He took it and scampered into the end zone. It capped a 15-play, 75-yard drive and the score was 31-27 Miami with just 18 seconds remaining.
Chambliss completed two long passes to get the ball to the Canes 35 but his pass on the final play fell incomplete in the end zone.
