Miami Hurricanes escape Ole Miss to claim College Football Playoff spot.
Carson Beck's desperate scramble resulted in a three-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left on Thursday night as Miami edged past Ole Miss, 31-27, at the Fiesta Bowl and secured their place in the College Football Playoff title game.
Coach Mario Cristobal described his team's resilience, saying: "We never flinched." The Hurricanes' victory marks a remarkable turnaround from last year's playoff absence. Their defense has been nearly unstoppable this season, holding Ole Miss to minus-one yard at one point and making crucial plays down the stretch.
The Rebels had been riding high after their coach departed before the playoffs, but they couldn't overcome Miami's strong performance. Malachi Toney turned a screen pass into a 36-yard touchdown that put Miami up 24-19. Then it was Beck's turn to lead his team down the field for the winning score.
Despite going down by seven points with six seconds remaining, Ole Miss had one final chance. Coach Pete Golding and most of his assistants from the previous season stuck around, which helped keep the Rebels in contention. However, their heave for a touchdown fell short as time expired.
The Hurricanes' 37-5 record as starters speaks to Beck's consistency at quarterback. He led Miami to the CFP title game on their home field. The team will face either top-ranked Indiana or fifth-ranked Oregon on January 19th.
In an improbable comeback, the Rebels came within one game of claiming their first national championship since 2014. They outscored Georgia in the quarterfinals and Tulane at the beginning of the playoffs but couldn't overcome Miami's defense.
The Hurricanes' resurgence has rekindled memories of their 2001 national championship team behind a strong defense that transitioned from porous to nearly impenetrable under coordinator Corey Hetherman.
Carson Beck's desperate scramble resulted in a three-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left on Thursday night as Miami edged past Ole Miss, 31-27, at the Fiesta Bowl and secured their place in the College Football Playoff title game.
Coach Mario Cristobal described his team's resilience, saying: "We never flinched." The Hurricanes' victory marks a remarkable turnaround from last year's playoff absence. Their defense has been nearly unstoppable this season, holding Ole Miss to minus-one yard at one point and making crucial plays down the stretch.
The Rebels had been riding high after their coach departed before the playoffs, but they couldn't overcome Miami's strong performance. Malachi Toney turned a screen pass into a 36-yard touchdown that put Miami up 24-19. Then it was Beck's turn to lead his team down the field for the winning score.
Despite going down by seven points with six seconds remaining, Ole Miss had one final chance. Coach Pete Golding and most of his assistants from the previous season stuck around, which helped keep the Rebels in contention. However, their heave for a touchdown fell short as time expired.
The Hurricanes' 37-5 record as starters speaks to Beck's consistency at quarterback. He led Miami to the CFP title game on their home field. The team will face either top-ranked Indiana or fifth-ranked Oregon on January 19th.
In an improbable comeback, the Rebels came within one game of claiming their first national championship since 2014. They outscored Georgia in the quarterfinals and Tulane at the beginning of the playoffs but couldn't overcome Miami's defense.
The Hurricanes' resurgence has rekindled memories of their 2001 national championship team behind a strong defense that transitioned from porous to nearly impenetrable under coordinator Corey Hetherman.
miami's defense is straight fire 
they shut down ole miss like that? minus one yard at one point?! 
and then carson beck just leads them on a desperation scramble to win it all 
that's some clutch quarterback stuff right there! 
but you know what's even crazier, the hurricanes' defense is almost unbeatable this season. they're not just good, they're nearly unstoppable 
as a QB. Their defense has been on fire 
But I gotta say, it's great to see Coach Cristobal and his team have a bit of revenge after getting embarrassed in the previous playoffs. They've come so far as a team and their resilience is truly inspiring 
. Can't wait to see how they take on either Indiana or Oregon on January 19th! 
I gotta say, this whole College Football Playoff system is a bit whack if you ask me... one game and suddenly it's all about the playoffs? And what's up with teams being able to switch coaches mid-season? Like, doesn't that just disrupt the whole team dynamic? 
And that Ole Miss comeback was insane, but also kinda heartbreaking for them since they were so close. 
on fire this season and I'm loving every minute of it 
. Ole Miss had a great run, but they just couldn't keep up with Miami's strong squad 
. It'll be super interesting to see how the CFP title game plays out on January 19th 
- will Indy or Oregon take down Miami? 
. And now those CFP games are just gonna be a waste of time, just another way to milk us fans for more money 
. I mean, Indiana and Oregon are probably just gonna sit back, take their licks, and let the favorites win because why bother trying? 
I mean, I love Miami's defense - they're like a brick wall 
I think it's crazy how Carson Beck led his team down the field with only 18 seconds left and still managed to pull off an escape act 
. It'll be interesting to see how they match up against either Indiana or Oregon; both teams are formidable opponents