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Carson Beck came to Miami for a moment like this.
The senior quarterback, who transferred from Georgia last offseason, rushed for a 3-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left to lift the No. 10-ranked Hurricanes to a 31-27 win over No. 6 Ole Miss in an instant classic at the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night.
Now, Beck and the Hurricanes will compete for the program’s first national championship since back-to-back title game appearances in 2001 and 2002. Miami will be seeking its sixth national title, and this one could be extra special given that the game just so happens to be at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
“You live for moments like these,” Beck told the broadcast after the game.
Here are my takeaways from Miami’s wild Fiesta Bowl semifinal win over Ole Miss:
1. Carson Beck delivered when it mattered most
Carson Beck #11 of the Miami Hurricanes scores a touchdown against the Ole Miss Rebels in the fourth quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal. The Hurricanes defeated the Rebels 31-27. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
With 24 seconds on the clock and Miami trailing Ole Miss by three, Beck dropped back and moved around the pocket before seeing space on the left side and running into the end zone. It was his first rushing score for Miami since a Week 3 win over South Florida.
The score capped a 15-play drive — Miami’s fourth possession of at least 13 plays — 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. All the usual suspects delivered in those final moments, especially wide receiver Keelan Marion, who made catches of 8, 17 and 11 yards on the drive.
“It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” Beck told the broadcast after the game when asked how he felt scoring the winning TD. “Man, I’m so proud of this team. We never flinched. When we had to respond, we responded.”
There was 3:13 left in the game when that final Miami drive started. Before taking the field, Beck rallied his offense on the sideline.
“I told them, ‘We’ve got three minutes for the rest of our lives,’” Beck said. “‘Nothing else matters. We’ve got three minutes to do this. All the adversity we’ve faced comes down to the final three minutes.’
“And shoot, we were able to finish it.”
2. It looked like Miami was down and out
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal reacts after a play as Jakobe Thomas #8 looks on in the fourth quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Miami was the more physical team from start to finish, but self-inflicted mistakes 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.
The Hurricanes had to overcome 10 penalties and a defense that dropped four would-be interceptions. Miami defensive standouts Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor failed to record a sack or tackle for loss after being complete menaces in the first two playoff games against Texas A&M and Ohio State. Ole Miss found a way to neutralize both of them, and it worked.
Additionally, Miami had the ball for 41 minutes and 22 seconds while Ole Miss maintained possession for 18 minutes and 38 seconds. The Rebels didn’t take a snap from inside the red zone through three quarters, missed star running back Kewan Lacy for part of the game after he tweaked his hamstring following a 73-yard TD run, and struggled to convert on third down.
Despite all of that, the Rebels were still in the game, trailing by one entering the fourth quarter.
3. Malachi Toney and Mark Fletcher Jr. are the real deal
Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney runs into the end zone against Ole Miss in the fourth quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
This isn’t exactly news to anyone, but Miami’s top playmakers showed out against the Rebels. Toney had five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, while Fletcher rushed for 133 yards and exhausted the Rebels’ defense.
Entering the Fiesta Bowl, Toney had amassed 1,008 receiving yards and eight touchdowns this year. Not bad for a 180-pound freshman. Despite his slight frame, Toney has proven all season how slippery and elusive he can be. He converted a third-and-7 in the second quarter to extend a Miami touchdown drive and repeatedly drew defensive attention, opening space for others. On the game-winning drive, that attention helped free Keelan Marion, who led all receivers with seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Fletcher, meanwhile, has been especially dangerous throughout the CFP. Miami leaned on him late to close out its first-round win over Texas A&M, and he followed that with 19 carries for 90 yards against Ohio State’s vaunted defense. It felt like every time he touched the ball against Ole Miss, he ran for a big chunk. Fletcher averaged 6.0 yards per carry, running with patience and power as he helped grind down the Rebels’ defense.
4. The Lane Kiffin saga ends
Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin during the college football game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. (Photo by Jason Homan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Ole Miss won two playoff games and nearly clinched a spot in the national championship despite all the drama surrounding the program. Kiffin, who spurred Ole Miss before the CFP by leaving for LSU, couldn’t stay out of the headlines as his former team continued to have success without him.
Following the Rebels’ upset win over Georgia in the quarterfinal, it was reported that several assistants who planned to follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge would not be able to keep coaching the team through the semifinals. Only three assistants, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., would be allowed to remain at Ole Miss for the duration of the CFP.
With all of that gossip swirling, 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.
4 ½: What’s next?
Miami will face the winner of Friday night’s Peach Bowl semifinal between Indiana and Oregon in the national championship on Jan. 19.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
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