Beck, Miami outlast Ole Miss to reach College Football Playoff finale

Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Carson Beck took a deep breath and delivered a simple message to Miami teammates Thursday before leading a game-winning drive against Ole Miss and clinching a spot in the College Football Playoff finale:

"We've got three minutes for the rest of our lives."

The sixth-year quarterback finished the Hurricanes' final drive with his first rushing score since September. The 3-yard run, which came with 19 seconds remaining, lifted the Hurricanes to a 31-27 Fiesta Bowl victory and into their first national title game since 2003.

"I'm so proud of this team," said Beck, who threw for 268 yards and two scores. "We never flinched in the face of adversity. When we had to respond, we responded."

CARSON BECK TAKES THE LEAD FOR THE CANES IN THE NICK OF TIME pic.twitter.com/5ZuJlwISkX— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 9, 2026

The No. 10 Hurricanes (13-2) and No. 6 Rebels (13-2) exchanged the lead six times, including four times in the fourth quarter of the electric College Football Playoff semifinal in Glendale, Ariz. Neither team led by more than seven points.

Beck's Hurricanes, who dominated time of possession in the first half, nearly unraveled due to dropped passes, penalties and an overall lack of discipline down the stretch, but found chemistry when it mattered most.

They will battle the top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers or No. 5 Oregon Ducks, the other two semifinalists, for a chance to claim their sixth national crown.

"We are focused on enjoying this one, but we've gotta get focused on going 1-0 one more time," Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said.

The Hurricanes out-gained the Rebels 459 to 398 in total yards and held an edge in time of possession of nearly 22 minutes, but also committed 10 penalties and logged the game's lone turnover.

Powerful Hurricanes trench play, with dominant defensive and offensive line performances, muted Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels' previously potent offense throughout the first two quarters.

Carter Davis split the uprights for a 38-yard field goal on the Hurricanes' first drive of the night for the only points of the first quarter. Rebels running back Kewan Lacy then gutted the Hurricanes defense with a career-long 73-yard touchdown run 10 seconds into the second quarter.

But Lacy, who picked up a hamstring injury, didn't see another carry in the first half. Hurricanes running back CharMar Brown scored on a 4-yard run to end the next drive.

Rebels kicker Lucas Carneiro tied the score with a 42-yard field goal on the next possession, but the Hurricanes answered with their second score of the night. That score -- a 52-yard pass from Beck to wide receiver Keelan Marion -- and an extra point gave a 17-10 lead for the Hurricanes.

Carneiro made a 58-yard kick just before halftime to cut the deficit to four points at the break.

Davis and Carneiro each missed 51-yard kicks on the first two drives of the second half. Rebels safety Kapena Gushiken snatched a deflected pass for an interception of Beck on the next possession.

Carneiro hit the left upright and bounced in another three points for the Rebels about three minutes later, trimming the deficit to 17-16.

The Rebels unearthed their pass rush at the start of the fourth quarter, picking up two sacks on the Hurricanes' first drive of the frame. They then put together their longest drive of the night, using 14 plays to get another Carneiro field goal and take back the lead with about seven minutes remaining.

Freshman phenom Malachi Toney took momentum back when he caught a short pass from Beck on the next drive and revved for a 36-yard touchdown, helping the Hurricanes take a 24-19 advantage.

But Chambliss used his legs and live arm to wrestle back the advantage less than two minutes later. The Rebels quarterback threw a 24-yard dart to tight end Dae'Quan Wright for that score. He followed with a successful two-point conversion throw to wide receiver Caleb Odom for a 27-24 edge with 3:13 remaining.

Beck responded by using 14 plays to get the Hurricanes to the Rebels 3-yard line. He took the next snap, scanned through progressions to his right and darted to a clear patch of grass on his left before finding the end zone with his clutch gallop.

Chambliss used the game's final seconds to march the Rebels deep into Hurricanes territory, but his final pass dropped incomplete as time expired.

The Rebels quarterback completed 23 of 37 passes for 277 yards and a score in the loss. Beck completed 23 of 37 passes for the Hurricanes, including seven completions to Marion, who totaled a game-high 114 yards.

Toney amassed 81 yards on five catches, including his touchdown. Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for 133 yards on 22 carries. Lacy totaled 103 yards and a score on 11 carries, with the majority of his production coming from his career-long sprint.

Oregon (13-1) will meet Indiana (14-0) in the second College Football Playoff semifinal at 7:30 p.m. EST Friday in Atlanta. The winner will face the Hurricanes in the national title game Jan. 19 in Miami Gardens, Fla.