- No. 10 Miami defeated No. 6 Ole Miss 31-27 in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl.
- The loss ended an improbable run for Ole Miss, which reached the playoff for the first time despite losing its head coach.
- Ole Miss’s season concluded with a program-best 13 wins and first playoff appearance.
GLENDALE, AZ — Mississippi football’s Cinderella run has come to an end.
No. 6 Ole Miss was defeated by No. 10 Miami 31-27 in the College Football Playoff semifinals on Thursday after the Rebels were unable to muster another comeback win in the program’s first-ever Fiesta Bowl appearance
Yet, as Ole Miss walked off the field at State Farm Stadium while The Scorpions’ “Rock You Like a Hurricane” blasted through the speakers and green and orange confetti fell from the sky, the Rebels had a lot to be proud of following their improbable run.
‘God has been so good to me and this team. I wouldn’t want to do it with any other people, whether it’s coaches, players, people in the offices. It’s just been a great ride,’ said Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who completed 23 of 37 passes for 277 yards and one touchdown in the loss. ‘This team has sacrificed a lot to get to this point and this season’s been bumpy. There’s been a lot of things going on and they just kept our focus.’
Chambliss added, ‘It’s been truly special.’
It was also unexpected. Before the announcement of the playoff field, the Rebels were left without head coach Lane Kiffin, who left for LSU on Nov. 30. Just last year, Chambliss was playing Division II football at Ferris State. Coaches that followed Kiffin were also splitting time coaching Ole Miss. And despite the circumstances and turmoil, the Rebels turned in the best season in program history with a record 13 wins and first playoff appearance since the system debuted in 2014.
For a moment, it looked like the Rebels were going to replicate the magic that captivated the nation in their Sugar Bowl win over No. 3 Georgia. They took a 27-24 lead with 3:13 remaining following Chambliss’ 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dae’Quan Wright and a successful two-point conversion from Chambliss to Caleb Odom.
It was up to Ole Miss’ defense to secure the win. The Rebels defensive unit was on the field a majority of the night as Miami’s offense ran 28 more plays and possessed the ball for more than 41 minutes.
The time on the field collectively wore down the Ole Miss defense. Miami put together a 15-play, 75-yard drive that quarterback Carson Beck capped off with a 3-yard, game-winning touchdown to put the Canes up by four points with 18 seconds remaining.
‘We didn’t play real well on defense all night, but to be up in the fourth and have an opportunity to close it out on that stage, it is something we’ll all look back on and get better from,’ new head coach Pete Golding said. ‘But I can’t tell you how proud I am of this group. They never panicked. They never flinch.’
One important stat told much of the story. Miami was 11-of-19 on third down and 2-of-2 on fourth down, while Ole Miss was 2-of-10 on third down.
‘On critical third downs, you got to find way to get off the field. We didn’t,’ said Golding. ‘But I’m really proud of their effort. We could have done some better things from a coaching staff as well, so it is on all of us.’
Yet, Ole Miss still had an opportunity to win late. Trailing by four points, Lucas Carneiro’s foot couldn’t rescue the Rebels. (Carneiro hit four of five field goals, including a 58-yard field goal, the second-longest ever kicked at the Fiesta Bowl.) Ole Miss would need a touchdown to keep their Cinderella season alive.
Ole Miss got to Miami’s 35-yard-line with six seconds remaining following a 23-yard and 17-yard completions. Chambliss attempted a Hail Mary pass to Stribling in the left corner of the end zone, but Stribling went down following some contact with Ethan O’Connor and didn’t come away with the ball. No penalty was called and time expired.
‘Those situations are tough to call … but there was contact,’ Golding said of the non-call. ‘It happens a lot. That’s not why we lost the game. We just had a lot of opportunities late. But I think it shows you the resiliency of the team. I mean they didn’t care … They’re going to go out there and give it all they got.’
With the win, Miami advanced to the national championship game for the first time since the 2002 season and will face either No. 5 Oregon or No. 1 Indiana. Ole Miss, on the other hand, has uncertainty heading into the next season. It will be Golding’s first full season as a head coach. Chambliss is seeking an NCAA waiver for a sixth season of eligibility to return to Ole Miss.
‘Hopefully, I get to (play) next year,’ Chambliss said.
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