GLENDALE, Ariz. — No. 10 seed Miami is headed home to play for a national championship after continuing its unlikely postseason run with a thrilling 31-27 win over No. 6 seed Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night.

The Hurricanes will face either No. 1 seed Indiana or No. 5 seed Oregon on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium as they chase their first national title since the 2001 season.

After sneaking into the 12-team College Football Playoff as the final at-large team, Miami delivered its third straight gritty postseason victory over a higher-seeded opponent. This one required even more late-game heroics, as quarterback Carson Beck engineered a game-winning drive over the final 3:13.

Beck capped the march with a 3-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining. It was his first rushing touchdown since a Week 3 win over South Florida and it capped off a 15-play, 75-yard drive that will live in Miami lore.

Miami overcame 10 penalties and a costly interception to win a game it largely controlled but never fully put away. The Hurricanes held the ball for 23 more minutes than Ole Miss but struggled to shake a persistent Rebels team.

Ole Miss briefly seized the lead when quarterback Trinidad Chambliss connected with Dae’Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown with 3:13 remaining. The Rebels, however, left too much time for Beck and a Miami offense that finally wore them down when it mattered most.

Ole Miss still had one final opportunity, driving to Miami’s 35-yard line in the closing seconds. Chambliss’ last pass fell incomplete in the back of the end zone as time expired.

Freshman Malachi Toney also made his mark. He turned a short flat route into a 36-yard touchdown with 5:04 remaining to give Miami a 24-19 lead. Toney finished with five catches for 81 yards. Keenan Marion added seven receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown, matching a career high in catches.

Beck finished 23 of 37 for 268 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

By the numbers 

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Miami

  • Advanced to the CFP National Championship Game for the first time in school history

  • Will play in the 2026 CFP National Championship Game on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida

  • First team in the BCS/CFP era (1998-present) to play a national championship game in its home stadium

  • Hard Rock Stadium has been Miami’s home venue since 2008

  • Set a school record with 13 wins

  • Seeking its sixth national championship (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001)

  • First Fiesta Bowl win in school history (previously 0-4)

  • Lowest-seeded team (No. 10) to reach the CFP National Championship Game

  • Second ACC program to reach the CFP title game, joining Clemson (four appearances)

  • Won against an AP-ranked opponent in each of its last four games

  • Recorded seven AP-ranked wins this season, most in school history

  • Won five straight games vs. SEC opponents, including a 3-0 mark this season

  • First national championship game appearance since the 2002 season (loss to Ohio State)

Carson Beck, QB

  • 23-for-37 passing for 268 yards, two touchdowns and one interception

  • Added the game-winning 3-yard rushing touchdown

  • Logged his eighth career fourth-quarter comeback as a starter

  • Game-winning rushing TD was his second of the season and first since Week 3 vs. South Florida

  • Threw a career-high 29 touchdown passes this season, tied for second-most in school history

  • Career record of 37-5 as an FBS starter, including 16-3 vs. AP-ranked teams

  • Fifth quarterback in FBS history to win at least 36 games over a three-year span

  • First QB since Marcus Mariota (2012-14) to reach that mark

  • Tied with Matt Leinart for second-most wins (37) over a three-year span

  • Tied for second-most wins vs. AP-ranked teams since 2010

  • Took a season-high four sacks

Mark Fletcher Jr., RB Malachi Toney, WR

  • Five receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown

  • Finished the season with 99 receptions, most in Miami history

  • Set the ACC freshman record for receptions

Miami: Fiesta Bowl History

SeasonOpponentResult 2025 Ole Miss W 31-27 2002 Ohio State L, 31-24 (2 OT) 1993 Arizona L, 29-0 1986 Penn State L, 14-10 1984 UCLA L, 39-37

Most QB Wins vs. AP-Ranked Teams Since 2010

QuarterbackWins Jalen Hurts 17 Carson Beck 16 Kevin Hogan 16 Baker Mayfield 15

Most QB Wins Over a Three-Year Span (FBS)

Excludes overlapping streaks

QuarterbackYearsWins Kellen Moore 2009-11 38 Carson Beck 2023-25 37 Matt Leinart 2003-05 37 Marcus Mariota 2012-14 36 AJ McCarron 2011-13 36

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Ole Miss

  • Seven-game winning streak snapped

  • Eight-game streak of scoring at least 30 points ended, previously the longest active streak in FBS

  • Pete Golding suffered his first loss as an FBS head coach (2-1)

Trinidad Chambliss, QB Kewan Lacy, RB

  • The SEC will not be represented in the national championship game for the third straight season

  • That follows eight consecutive appearances by SEC teams, including six national titles