Image Source: Laken Litman
Key Takeaways
- Carson Beck delivered a game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter to lift the Miami Hurricanes to a 31-27 win over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.
- The win sends Miami to the national championship game, where they will face the winner of the Peach Bowl semifinal between Indiana and Oregon.
- Miami’s top playmakers, including Malachi Toney and Mark Fletcher Jr., showed out against the Rebels, with Toney having five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, and Fletcher rushing for 133 yards.
- The game marked the end of the Lane Kiffin saga at Ole Miss, as the team won two playoff games and nearly clinched a spot in the national championship despite the drama surrounding the program.
- Miami will seek its sixth national title, and this one could be extra special given that the game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Introduction to the Game
The Miami Hurricanes secured a thrilling 31-27 win over the Ole Miss Rebels in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal, thanks to a game-winning touchdown from senior quarterback Carson Beck. With 24 seconds left on the clock and Miami trailing by three, Beck dropped back and moved around the pocket before seeing space on the left side and running into the end zone. As Beck told the broadcast after the game, "You live for moments like these." This win sends Miami to the national championship game, where they will face the winner of the Peach Bowl semifinal between Indiana and Oregon.
The Winning Drive
The game-winning drive was a 15-play possession that showcased Beck’s patience and poise. Miami converted three third downs on the march and picked up another first down via an Ole Miss penalty. As Beck said, "I told them, ‘We’ve got three minutes for the rest of our lives,’ ‘Nothing else matters. We’ve got three minutes to do this. All the adversity we’ve faced comes down to the final three minutes.’" The drive was capped off by Beck’s 3-yard touchdown run, which he described as "the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life." As he told the broadcast, "Man, I’m so proud of this team. We never flinched. When we had to respond, we responded."
Miami’s Resilience
Despite being the more physical team from start to finish, Miami was plagued by self-inflicted mistakes that kept Ole Miss within striking distance deep into the game. A missed field goal in the third quarter was followed moments later by a Beck interception that stalled a promising drive. At that point, Miami led just 17-13, and Ole Miss capitalized on the next possession with a field goal to cut the deficit to one. However, Miami was able to overcome these mistakes and secure the win. As Beck said, "We were able to finish it."
Top Playmakers
Miami’s top playmakers, including Malachi Toney and Mark Fletcher Jr., showed out against the Rebels. Toney had five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, while Fletcher rushed for 133 yards. Toney has proven all season how slippery and elusive he can be, and he converted a third-and-7 in the second quarter to extend a Miami touchdown drive. Fletcher, meanwhile, has been especially dangerous throughout the CFP, and he averaged 6.0 yards per carry against Ole Miss. As the article notes, "It felt like every time he touched the ball against Ole Miss, he ran for a big chunk."
The Lane Kiffin Saga
The game marked the end of the Lane Kiffin saga at Ole Miss, as the team won two playoff games and nearly clinched a spot in the national championship despite the drama surrounding the program. Kiffin spurred Ole Miss before the CFP by leaving for LSU, and his former team continued to have success without him. As the article notes, "The players still managed to win two playoff games for the first time in program history, and were one play short of making it to the title game."
What’s Next
Miami will face the winner of the Peach Bowl semifinal between Indiana and Oregon in the national championship on January 19. The game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and it could be extra special for the Hurricanes. As Beck said, "You live for moments like these." Miami will seek its sixth national title, and this one could be a memorable one for the program. As the article notes, "The Hurricanes will compete for the program’s first national championship since back-to-back title game appearances in 2001 and 2002."
https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/4-takeaways-from-miamis-cfp-semifinal-win-over-ole-miss