Miami’s back was against the wall.
With just more than three minutes left in regulation at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., the Miami Hurricanes went down three to the Ole Miss Rebels following a 24-yard touchdown from Dae’Quan Wright.
It came down to Carson Beck to lead his Hurricane team to their first national championship appearance in 23 years.
On second and goal from the Ole Miss three-yard line, Beck avoided pressure, rolled to his left and found nothing but green grass as he scampered into the end zone untouched to give the Hurricanes a five-point lead with 18 seconds left.
“Seeing ‘Vanilla Vick’ go into the endzone was amazing,” Jakobe Thomas said after the game.
With five seconds left at the Miami 35-yard line, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss sent a prayer into the back of the end zone, looking for a miracle.
Chambliss’s throw intended for De’Zhaun Stribling fell in between the receiver, Zechariah Poyser and Ethan O’Connor and landed on the ground.
The clock struck zero and the Miami Hurricanes rushed the field as they claimed their first ever Fiesta Bowl in a 31-27 win over the Rebels — securing a place in the 2026 National Championship game.
“I think it’s more a reflection of our players and their DNA and the way that they’re wired,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said after the game. “It almost seems like the tougher it gets, the better we play.”
The game was back and forth from the off, with nearly every offensive player on both sides making plays.
Miami leaned heavily on running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar Brown in the first half, with the pair combining for 187 yards on 36 carries on the night.
Ole Miss also featured an impressive rushing attack as Kewan Lacy ripped a 73-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter — a run aided by a missed tackle by UM’s Poyser.
Despite having the ball for 41 of 60 minutes, 459 yards of offense, and going 11-for-19 from third down, Miami was neck-and-neck with Ole Miss during the entire game.
And while part of that was thanks to some incredible play by the Ole Miss offense, a large part was due to Miami’s own mistakes.
False starts, personal fouls, offside penalties — the ’Canes consistently shot themselves in the foot throughout the night.
The worst of it came in the fourth quarter after an 11-yard catch from Cayden Lee. While Lee went down to the ground, Miami’s Xavier Lucas launched himself at Lee and was called for targeting.
Lucas was ejected from the game and will miss the first half in the National Championship. With Damari Brown ruled out before the game, Miami’s defensive back room was thin and relied on freshman Jaboree Antonie to step in.
On that same drive with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, Lucas Carneiro drilled a 21-yard field goal to put the Rebels on top 19-17.
The Hurricanes offense was in desperate need of points, and true freshman Malachi Toney stepped up when they needed it the most.
On second and 11 from the Ole Miss 36-yard line, Beck hit Toney for a screen pass on the left side. Toney made his move, turned on the jets and took it to the house, allowing Miami to retake the lead at 24-19.
Toney finished the game with five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, including 77 yards coming after the catch. The 18-year old looked like a seasoned vet, making the biggest plays when it mattered the most.
Another ‘Cane wideout who proved crucial was senior Keelan Marion.
The veteran was Beck’s go-to all night, consistently moving the chains during Miami’s game-winning drive, reigning in a 52-yard touchdown in the first half and led the team with 114 receiving yards.
Beck himself finished the game with 268 yards, three total touchdowns and one interception. Following the game, the sixth-year redshirt senior was named offensive player of the game.
When asked about how it felt to be a part of this team after transferring from Georgia a year ago, Beck didn’t hold back.
“It feels real good don’t it?” Beck said during the trophy presentation. “Feels real good to be a ’Cane baby.”
Thomas was named defensive player of the game, tallying up five tackles and two pass breakups in a stellar Fiesta Bowl performance.
But for the Miami standout safety, all focus immediately turned to the next game.
“Tomorrow I get back to work,” Thomas said. “We made a promise to each other that we were going to get to this point … and we’re coming.”
The Hurricanes will return to South Florida to play in the CFP National Championship game in front of a home crowd at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Jan. 19.
Kickoff is set at 7:30 p.m on ESPN with both players and fans eager to win the sixth title in program history.