Ole Miss’ improbable run ended just shy of the national championship game Thursday night, as Miami scored in the final minute to hand the Rebels a 31-27 loss in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl inside State Farm Stadium.
The Rebels fought back from an early deficit and held leads in the fourth quarter, but Miami’s final drive, capped by a touchdown run by quarterback Carson Beck, sealed a heart-breaking finish for Ole Miss. For nearly a season’s worth of work, the Rebels had fought for every yard, every stop, every chance and for one fleeting moment, victory seemed possible.
Miami drew first blood with a field goal, but the Rebels responded emphatically. Ole Miss’ opening score, a 73‑yard touchdown run by Kewan Lacy that electrified State Farm Stadium, hoped to set the tone for rest of the night. Miami would respond with a touchdown of their own by Chase Brown to reclaim a three point lead.
Ole Miss would tie the score in the second quarter, but would go into halftime trailing by a touchdown due to a busted coverage that led to a Carson Beck passing touchdown.
Coming out of the break, Ole Miss was able to keep the Miami offense quiet but, the Rebels trailed for the entirety of the third quarter. They were, however, able to enter the fourth down by just a singular point after a pair of Lucas Carneiro field goals.
Ole Miss would eventually vault ahead in the fourth quarter when quarterback Trinidad Chambliss connected with tight end Dae’Quan Wright on a critical touchdown pass that gave the Rebels a 27-24 lead with just over three minutes to play. Miami answered with a methodical clock-burning drive, and the Rebels’ final possession ended with a Hail Mary in the back of the end zone as time expired.
Lacy rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown, having success on a tough Miami front on a night where the Rebel offense was not able to have the success it is used to. Ole Miss’ defense forced Miami into difficult down-and-distance situations throughout the second half, but the Rebels couldn’t make the crucial stop giving up multiple conversions on third and long.
“In these games, on critical third downs, you got to find a way to get off the field, and we didn’t,” said head coach Pete Golding. “We knew coming in they were going to be challenging up front, and you got to find different ways to attack them.”
Miami’s final drive, methodical and unforgiving, erased all the work of the Rebels’ offense. When Carson Beck scrambled into the end zone for a touchdown with 18 seconds left, the stadium fell silent. The Rebels had been so close, and for a fleeting moment, the dream of a national title felt real enough to taste.
Yet the story of this team isn’t measured in the heartbreak of 18 seconds. It’s measured in the journey from underdogs to playoff contenders, in the courage to face the nation’s elite programs head on, and in the resilience to fight back again and again. Every late night practice, every grind through injuries and adversity, every challenge faced in the SEC prepared them for this stage. And while the scoreboard reads 31‑27, the legacy of this team stretches far beyond numbers.
“I’m can’t tell you how proud I am of this group. They never panicked, they never flinched,” said Golding. “This group created a legacy for this team and an expectation for this program.”
And though there’s heartbreak tonight, there’s also perspective. A 13‑win season. A CFP semifinal berth. A Rebels roster that played its way onto national radars in the face of what most would deem as insurmountable adversity. And a locker room that walked off that Glendale turf with heads held high, shoulders broad with pride, and futures as bright as any in the country.
It’s not just about wins or appearances on the biggest stages, though those will come, it’s about the culture that is being built, the toughness instilled in every player, and the resilience displayed under pressure. This postseason run proved what the players and coaches already knew, Ole Miss is quickly becoming one of the nation’s premier football programs.
