Beck’s late scramble sends Miami past Ole Miss into College Football Playoff title game | College football
Carson Beck rushed for a three-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left, and Miami will return home for a shot at its first national championship since 2001 after beating Mississippi 31-27 in an exhilarating College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night.
“We never flinched,” said Beck, who had 268 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. “In the face of adversity, when we had to react, we responded. »
The 10th-ranked Hurricanes (13-2) didn’t make the Atlantic Coast Conference title game and were a somewhat controversial CFP pick — at least outside of South Florida — but proved they belonged. They will face either No. 1 Indiana or No. 5 Oregon in the national title game on Jan. 19.
Miami held Texas A&M and defending national champion Ohio State to a combined 17 points to reach the CFP semifinals. Then the Hurricanes stopped the Rebels (13-2) for three quarters in the desert before pulling them out in a wild fourth.
Malachi Toney, hero of Miami’s first CFP victory over Texas A&M, turned a screen pass into a 36-yard touchdown that put the Hurricanes up 24-19.
Trinidad Chambliss, a year removed from winning a Division II title at Ferris State, led the Rebels down the field and found Dae’Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown with 3:13 left.
Then it was Beck’s turn.
He won a national title as a backup at Georgia before two productive seasons as a starter for the Bulldogs. Beck kept the Hurricanes calm amid the storm, leading them down the field for the winning score – and a chance to win a national title on their home field at Hard Rock Stadium. Beck is 37-5 as a starter, including two seasons at Georgia.
“He’s hungry, he’s motivated, he’s a great human being and all he wants to do is see his teammates succeed,” said Mario Cristobal, who is in his fourth season as coach of his alma mater. “And that’s what we witnessed tonight.”
Chambliss completed two passes to bring Ole Miss to the Miami 35 with six seconds left, but his heave to the end zone fell incomplete as time expired.
The sixth-seeded Rebels lost their coach before the playoffs, but not their composure.
If anything, Lane Kiffin’s decision to bolt for LSU seemed to strengthen Ole Miss’ resolve, pushing the Rebels to the best season in school history — and one game away from their first national championship game.
Ole Miss took the lead on Lucas Caneiro’s fourth-down field goal, from 21 yards out, and looked poised to continue its improbable run with Chambliss’ TD pass to Wright.
The Rebels couldn’t hold off the Hurricanes on their final drive, but what a ride it was.
With Pete Golding in charge after being promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach, and most of the assistants sticking around, the Rebels blew out Tulane to open the playoffs and beat powerhouse Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals.
They faced a different type of storm during the Hurricanes.
Miami revived memories of its 2001 national championship team behind a defense that went from porous to nearly impenetrable in its first season under coordinator Corey Hetherman.
The Hurricanes were walled in at the start of the Fiesta Bowl, limiting Ole Miss to minus-1 yard.
One play revived the Rebels and their rowdy fans.
Kewan Lacy, the nation’s third-leading rusher, punched a hole up the middle for a 73-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter – the longest run allowed by Miami’s defense since 2018.
The Hurricanes seemed content to take on the Rebels in bits offensively, setting up CharMar Brown’s four-yard touchdown run and a field goal.
Miami unlocked the deep play just before halftime, taking advantage of broken coverage for a 52-yard touchdown pass from Beck to Keelan Marion.
