Ole Miss’ magical season came to a painful stop Thursday night as Miami pulled off a last-second 31-27 win in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, sealing a College Football Playoff semifinal spot with a clutch drive in the final minute.
The Rebels looked ready to steal it. After trailing at halftime yet again, Ole Miss surged ahead late in the fourth quarter. But Miami answered with ice in its veins, marching 75 yards in a long, pressure-packed drive that ended with Carson Beck’s three-yard rushing touchdown with just 18 seconds left on the clock.
That was the dagger.
Late Drama Decides It
Ole Miss had taken a 27-24 lead with 3:18 remaining after Trinidad Chambliss connected with Dae’Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown, followed by a successful two-point conversion. Momentum was swinging. The Rebels were loud. Miami was cornered.
Then Beck went full leader mode.
The Hurricanes converted multiple third downs, caught a key facemask penalty break, and stayed calm under pressure. Beck capped the drive by tucking the ball and running untouched into the end zone, flipping the game one last time.
Ole Miss had one final chance, reaching the Miami 35-yard line, but the last throw toward the end zone fell incomplete as time expired.
Game over. Season over.
Chambliss Shines in Final Act
Despite the loss, Trinidad Chambliss delivered another strong performance. The senior quarterback finished 23 of 37 for 277 yards and a touchdown, closing his season with 3,937 passing yards and 30 total touchdowns.
Wright emerged as his go-to target late, scoring the Rebels’ only receiving touchdown and hauling in three catches for 64 yards. De’Zhaun Stribling led the team with 77 receiving yards, while Cayden Lee added 67 more.
On the ground, Kewan Lacy was electric. He rushed for 103 yards on just 11 carries and ripped off a jaw-dropping 73-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, his longest ever. That score also marked his 24th rushing touchdown of the season, a new Ole Miss single-season record.
Yes, that is wild.
Defense Fights Till the End
Ole Miss’ defense had its moments and kept the game alive deep into the fourth quarter.
TJ Dottery led all Rebels with 11 tackles and added a sack. Chris Graves Jr. posted a career-high eight tackles and broke up three passes. Kapena Gushiken grabbed an interception late in the third quarter that briefly swung momentum back to Ole Miss.
The Rebels also recorded multiple sacks in the fourth quarter, forcing a key Miami punt that helped set up their late go-ahead score.
But Miami’s final drive was just too clean.
A Season to Remember
The loss hurts. No way around it.
Still, this Ole Miss team delivered one of the most memorable seasons in program history. Big wins, big comebacks, and a Fiesta Bowl stage that came down to the final seconds.
Sometimes football is cruel like that.
Ole Miss walks away without the ending it wanted, but with a season that fans will be talking about for a long time. Miami moves on. The Rebels head home with pride, pain, and proof they belonged on this stage.
