Glendale Delivers a Thriller as Miami takes down Ole Miss

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Miami Hurricanes and the Ole Miss Rebels gave a battle worthy of the College Football Playoff Thursday night. The Hurricanes walked out of the Sonoran Desert with a 31-27 win and a trip back to their own backyard to play for a National Championship. The Rebels travel back to Oxford heartbroken.

This desert showdown had big hits, momentum swings and plays that make you jump out of your seat. Miami now has the chance to make history: To win the National Championship in its home stadium.

Here’s how the “U” got the win, what this means going forward, and how the Devils could be the next Miami or Ole Miss.

The Game Recap:

The first and third quarters were quiet, with neither team scoring a TD and points only coming off one field goal each. However, in the second and fourth, both teams would put up 11+ points each.

Statistically, both quarterbacks would have similar numbers. Per espn.com, both Carson Beck of the Hurricanes and Trinidad Chambliss of the Rebels went 23-27. Chambliss won in passing yards with 277 and a touchdown pass. Beck finished with 268 passing yards, two touchdowns with an interception.

The run game for both teams was a sight to see. Star running back for the Rebels, Kewan Lacy, put up 103 rushing yards with a cinematic 73-yard touchdown run to open up the second quarter. Hurricane running back Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for over 130 yards. Running back CharMar Brown joined the party with a rushing touchdown of his own.

With just over five minutes to go, Chambliss would throw a 24-yard touchdown pass to star TE Dae’Quan Wright. That put the Rebels up 27-24 with just over three minutes left in regulation.

The “Hotty Toddy” chants could be heard all the way in Flagstaff.

However, Beck and the ‘Canes would soon silence those chants as Miami created a 75-yard drive capped off with a Beck rushing touchdown to put the game on ice. It was then that Beck and company held up the beloved Fiesta Bowl trophy.

Beck made sure to let his teammates know on that final drive, “No matter what happens, I still love them. I’m still proud of them.”

The Main Takeaways:

So, what now for both Miami and Mississippi?

Both programs proved their recent success was no mistake Thursday night, which both are aiming as the standard for 2026 and beyond.

Ole Miss has been in the spotlight since late November, when former Rebel head coach Lane Kiffin moved from Oxford to Baton Rouge to join SEC rival LSU Tigers. This left former Rebel defensive coordinator, now head coach Pete Golding, to take over.

No Kiffin? No problem.

Golding stood up to the task by getting not only one, but two playoff wins. One of them being SEC foe Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl.

Golding won the hearts of fans in Oxford. It’s safe to say the Rebel’s future is looking bright.

As for the Hurricanes, the chance to make history is right in front of them.

After defeating Texas A&M in College Station and the reigning national champions Ohio State Buckeyes, the Hurricanes are now getting to play for the National Championship in their home sweet home Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami’s head coach Mario Cristobal harped on the “simplicity” of Miami. Saying that “football isn’t complicated, people are.” When players start creating fouls, that’s when “you create problems for yourself.” Cristobal and the Hurricanes proved that even when the lights are bright, they aren’t rattled.

How The Devils Can Get To This Stage:

It’s no surprise that college sports today are complete chaos. Athletes transferring left and right, teams realigning with conferences on the opposite side of the country, athletes being worth millions of dollars in NIL. It’s mayhem to say the least.

So how exactly does a team make it this far in college football in 2026?

It starts with the portal.

Both Ole Miss and Miami have many star transfer players heading into Glendale. Both Beck and Chambliss, Lacy, Hurricane stud defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor and linebacker Jakobe Thomas, all played for previous schools.

To say that Sun Devil head coach Kenny Dillingham has been doing well in the portal would be an understatement.

Per 247sports.com, Arizona State currently has the sixth best transfer class in the country, with 15 commits heading to Tempe. One of them being Colorado wide receiver Omarion Miller, with over 800 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2025, per espn.com.

A star Colorado wide receiver coming to Tempe…sound familiar?

Another being the the NCAA’s leading tackler in 2025 with over 150, Colorado State linebacker Owen Long, per sportsillustrated.com.

But even more important than transfers, you need the right culture.

Ever since Dillingham first stepped foot to Tempe to call the shots, he has rallied all of the valley behind him. With his “Activate the Valley” motto, Dillingham completely changed the standard in the Valley of Sun.

Nights like this under the roof of State Farm Stadium show what it takes to get to the final stage, a standard the Sun Devils are aiming for in 2026.