Miami vs. Ole Miss live updates: Hurricanes, Rebels collide in CFP semifinal showdown at Fiesta Bowl

2:00 4Q: Ole Miss 27, Miami 24

Are you not entertained? Miami will face a third-and-8 from its own 39-yard line coming out of the two-minute timeout. This game has been back and forth all night, and now Carson Beck has a chance to make himself a Miami legend. Malachi Toney has been unbelievable tonight, but Keelan Marion has also produced some big catches. Huge sequence for offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson coming up as a spot in the national championship game hangs in the balance.

3:13 4Q: Ole Miss 27, Miami 24

Trinidad Chambliss hit Dae'Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown strike on a perfectly executed out route from the tight end. That was a lightning-quick response from the Rebels, who were aided by yet another costly Miami penalty. Antonie Jaboree was called for pass interference on a third-and-8 play near midfield to give new life to the drive.

5:04 4Q: Miami 24, Ole Miss 19

Freshman phenom Malachi Toney just made a game-changing play, which is no surprise if you've followed Miami this season. The undersized speedster is a terror in the open field, and Carson Beck got him the football on a basic flat route after Toney went in motion. He did the rest, scampering 36 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. He's up to 81 yards receiving and has made some huge grabs at various critical junctures in this game.

7:00 4Q: Ole Miss 19, Miami 17

Miami's defense came up with a big stand inside the 10-yard line, forcing Ole Miss to settle for a 21-yard Lucas Carneiro field goal to make it 19-17. That was a 14-play, 86-yard drive that took 5:19 off the clock. Did it get the Ole Miss defense enough rest to come out and produce another big stop? We'll see the Hurricanes are still dominating time of possession by more than 20 minutes.

8:00 4Q: Miami 17, Ole Miss 16

A targeting penalty and a late hit on consecutive plays are aiding an Ole Miss drive, which has reached the red zone, and ha e added to a problematic tally for the Hurricanes, who have been whistled nine times for 67 yards. The Rebels have also notched their first two third-down conversions of the game after starting this series on their own 10-yard line. Kewan Lacy is running the football again for the first time since his 73-yard scamper to open the second quarter.

End 3Q: Miami 17, Ole Miss 16

Ole Miss finally won a quarter with a 3-0 advantage in the third period to pull within a point of Miami.

Miami has dropped at least four interceptions in this game, which has hampered it from potentially pulling away in a game its offensive line has dominated.

The Rebels picked up 82 yards compared to Miami's 109 in the third quarter and only ran the ball once. Lucas Carneiro was 1 of 2 on field goals, doinking both kicks off the left upright. Ole Miss held the ball for only 3:54 in the third quarter, and still, the Rebels have to be feeling good about potentially winning this game.

Late 3Q: Miami 17, Ole Miss 16

Lucas Carneiro and the left upright have apparently kissed and made up. Ole Miss' incredible kicker just doinked in a 54-yard field goal after previously missing earlier in the half on a doinked ball off the same upright.

We've got a beautiful game here at the Fiesta Bowl, with the winner headed to the national championship game. 

Ole Miss marched 49 yards on nine plays and now trails by a single point despite being outgunned by nearly 100 yards and holding the ball for only 11:10.

Late 3Q: Miami 17, Ole Miss 13

Ole Miss is still very much in this game, which has been dominated by Miami's offensive line, because of the Hurricanes' mistakes. The biggest one yet just happened: a deflected pass, intercepted by safety Kapena Gushiken.

Beck had been perfect in the playoffs until that moment. It's his first interception since the regular-season finale at Pitt — and only his second in the last six-plus games.

Miami was driving, once again, burning 7:37 off the clock on a 13-play drive but it ended after 42 yards and the turnover.

Miami has out-gained Ole Miss 322-178, but it just feels like the Rebels are moments away from striking again and taking advantage of the penalties and mistakes. 

Lucas Carneiro has been clutch this entire postseason, but he just dunked a 52-yard field goal off the left upright.

Miami remains ahead 17-13 with 10:56 remaining in the third quarter after an impressive drive that saw the return of Kewan Lacy at running back. Ole Miss' drive ended after chewing up 33 yards on six plays.

Meanwhile, the drive nearly ended twice, but Miami dropped would-be Interceptions, including one that was bobbled by at least two Hurricanes.

Lacy did not record a carry.

Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy is back in the game after missing the final three possessions of the first half with a hamstring Injury.

Through three plays, he has mostly been a decoy in the third quarter. He was used for a play-action that was almost intercepted.

Early 3Q: Miami 17, Ole Miss 13

Carter Davis missed a 51-yard field goal attempt wide to the left and Ole Miss escaped a promising opening drive by Miami in the third quarter.

Miami marched 42 yards on nine plays, but fell behind the sticks on an intentional grounding call, before Davis' wide kick. 

Ole Miss fans can sense an opening here for their Rebels to take their first lead of the night after their defense held Miami out of the end zone for a third straight possession dating back to the second quarter.

Halftime: Miami 17, Ole Miss 13

Miami set the tone early, but Ole Miss stuck to its game plan, scoring three times with its quick-strike offense to remain within striking distance.

Miami dominated nearly every first-half category -- yardage, time of possession, plays and third-down conversions -- but one defensive breakdown proved costly. Superstar running back Kewan Lacy ripped off a 73-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.

Ole Miss' offense has been slowed since Lacy exited with a hamstring injury on the long scoring play, according to ESPN's broadcast. The running game has lacked the same power without him, forcing the Rebels to lean more heavily on backup Logan Diggs, who has 10 yards on four carries.

The numbers illustrate Miami's control.

The Hurricanes outgained Ole Miss 228 yards to 145 and held the ball for all but 7 minutes, 16 seconds of the half. Miami converted 5 of 9 third downs, while Ole Miss went 0 for 5. The Hurricanes also doubled up the Rebels in first downs, 13-6.

Late 2Q: Miami 17, Ole Miss 13

Lucas Carneiro has been pitch-perfect in the postseason. He just drilled a 58-yarder, with room to spare, to pull Ole Miss within 17-13 before halftime.

The 58-yarder is the second-longest in Fiesta Bowl history and the longest by an Ole Miss kicker since 1970. He hit two long field goals last week in the quarterfinals to help Ole Miss upset Georgia.

Late 2Q: Miami 17, Ole Miss 10

Carson Beck rolled right to extend a play, a safety in the middle of the field crashed down, and receiver Keelan Marion streaked downfield from the left to the middle of the field for an easy, 52-yard touchdown catch.

The Hurricanes retake the lead, 17-10, with 2:18 remaining in the second quarter. Both offenses have scored on back-to-back possessions in less than five minutes.

Miami converted a big third down on the possession to improve to 5 for 8 on third-down conversions. The Hurricanes are out-gaining the Rebels 230-108 yards, including 156 through the air from Carson Beck, who has thrown 14 touchdowns against only one interception through the last six-and-a-half games.

The Hurricanes have also run 39 plays compared to Ole Miss' 14.

Late 2Q: Miami 10, Ole Miss 10

Ole Miss put together a quick drive to tie the game on a 42-yard field goal from Lucas Carneiro.

The drive ate up 51 yards in only 2 minutes, 31 seconds. The drive was helped by a roughing-the-passer penalty.

The Rebels scored without star running back Kewan Lacy on the field. He apparently injured a hamstring on his 73-yard touchdown run earlier in the quarter.

Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy aggravated a hamstring on the 73-yard touchdown run to start the second quarter, according to ESPN broadcaster Laura Rutledge.

Lacy did not play on the Rebels' second possession of the second quarter, which ended with a game-tying field goal.

Mid 2Q: Miami 10, Ole Miss 7

Miami's plan is simple — and it's working: pound the ball on the ground, hit a few passes across the middle and slow the tempo to keep the ball out of Ole Miss' hands.

The Hurricanes capped a 15-play, 75-yard drive with CharMar Brown's four-yard touchdown run, in which he surfed over one of his offensive linemen to reach the end zone.

That drive burned 7 minutes, 41 seconds off the clock. Miami has held the ball for nearly 20 minutes in the first half. Ole Miss has had the ball for only 3:02. That's 34 Miami plays and only eight for the Rebels.

Early 2Q: Ole Miss 7, Ole Miss 3

All it takes is one play. Kewan Lacy just flipped the script with an explosive, 73-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter. The Rebels entered the second frame with minus-1 yard of offense but now suddenly has a 7-3 lead.

Lacy's running lane opened up with a beautiful combo block by Delando Townsend and Bryce Sanders on the left side. Townsend rolled off the combo block, flashing to his left to pick up another defender to create a gigantic hole on the iso play. Lacy did the rest, out-running the rest of the defense.

Miami's defense had not given up a run longer than 38 yards this season until that 73-yard explosion from Lacy.

End 1Q: Miami 3, Ole Miss 0

Miami controlled the line of scrimmage and the clock, but its offense went backwards on its second possession and the Hurricanes were forced to punt in the final 30 seconds of the first quarter.

The Hurricanes picked up 84 yards compared to Ole Miss' minus-1. Miami ran 19 plays compared to Ole Miss' seven, and held the ball for 12:08 of the 15-minute quarter.

The Hurricanes had two costly penalties on their second possession. Remember, they had zero -- zero! -- penalties in the 24-14 victory against Ohio State last week in the quarterfinals.

Miami's defense has forced back-to-back, three-and-outs to start the game. The Rebels have been held to minus-3 yards, including 8 yards passing from Trinidad Chambliss. 

The Hurricanes played that last possession without defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr., but didn't appear to be negatively affected by his absence. He's been limited for most of the last half of the season with an ankle injury. 

The Hurricanes have one tackle for loss: a sack by linebacker Mohamed Toure.

Mid 1Q: Miami 3, Ole Miss 0

Miami kicker Carter Davis has given the Hurricanes the first lead of the night with a 38-yard field goal.

The Hurricanes played bully ball for most of the drive, but then came up short on third-and-2 when receiver Malachi Toney took a direct snap and tried to out-run the Ole Miss defense over the left side. There Hurricanes had been getting solid yardage between the tackles, and Carson Beck had plenty of time to throw on the possession.

Miami bled an impressive 6 minutes, 59 seconds off the clock on the 13-play, 44-yard drive. Mark Fletcher Jr. chewed up 17 yards on five runs and Beck scrambled for a six-yard gain. Beck was also 3 of 4 passing for 17 yards.

Miami prides itself on being the most "violent" team in college football. They've proven it here in the first four minutes, forcing Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss into an intentional grounding (and loss of down) and the offense paving the way as Mark Fletcher Jr. bullied his way to a first down on fourth-and-2 on the ensuing possession.

The Hurricanes are driving and are in the Rebels' territory with 10:49 remaining in the first quarter. 

Defensive tackle Ahmed Boten appeared to re-aggravate an ankle injury on the second play of the game and hobbled back to the sideline. He's a key piece in the middle of Miami's defense and is certainly a development worth tracking here as the game develops. He has 25 tackles, including 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss this season. He has missed two games.

It's hard to find a program that has handled the uniquely challenging circumstances better than Ole Miss.

Consider what Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding, athletic director Keith Carter and others have had to deal with in recent weeks. All the drama around whether the coaches following Lane Kiffin to LSU would be allowed to finish the playoff run.  A narrative that it was just a matter of time before Ole Miss' top players fled Oxford to join Kiffin at LSU. All of this while preparing for a Thursday semifinal against Miami and navigating an especially wild and active transfer portal.

How Ole Miss' roster, infrastructure emerged stronger on the other side of 'Portal King' Lane Kiffin's exit

John Talty

The busiest coaching staff in college football is shorthanded and tired, frustrated and confused. But no one at Ole Miss is complaining.  

The Rebels play Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday with a spot in the national championship game on the line. It's easily the biggest moment in the program's history, and yet another chapter from the most chaotic 40 days the school has ever endured.

The first domino fell more than a month ago, when Lane Kiffin went turncoat and bolted for LSU on the eve of the College Football Playoff, taking six assistants with him. Signing day came and went. Some LSU-bound assistants split time between the Tigers and Rebels, hopping private flights between Oxford and Baton Rouge. The transfer portal opened. Ole Miss kept winning -- twice -- in the playoff.

Hectic? Absolutely.

Continuity amid chaos: How Ole Miss thrived after Lane Kiffin's exit, staff turmoil to reach CFP semifinals

Brandon Marcello

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is one of the breakout stars of the College Football Playoff after a sensational Sugar Bowl performance. Now, he tries to add to his legend in the Fiesta Bowl against No. 10 Miami and earn the No. 6 Rebels their first trip to the CFP National Championship Game. 

Chambliss' story to get to this point is one of the most improbable ever. The Rebels quarterback started his career at Division II Ferris State, only transferring to Ole Miss as a backup to Austin Simmons. After an injury to Simmons, he stepped in and delivered one of the best seasons ever by an Ole Miss player. 

Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss' unbelievable rise from Division II backup to College Football Playoff hero

Shehan Jeyarajah

The grass Inside State Farm Stadium is notoriously slippery. Remember that Super Bowl here in Glendale two years ago?

The turf is prepared outside the stadium and is rolled into State Farm Stadium overnight. I recall here at the Fiesta Bowl semifinal between TCU and Michigan the turf becoming a problem for defensive backs, who couldn't cut without slipping to the ground.

The turf felt OK underneath my shoes two hours before the game. There is some moisture in the turf, which is what you want, but the grass is cut short with a few rough spots. It will be Interesting to see how the grass holds up when Ole Miss and Miami's cleats start chewing It up.

A local TV station explained why the turf is slippery in February 2024 If you want to give it a peek.

Miami cornerback Damari Brown will not be available tonight against Ole Miss in the semifinals, sources tell CBS Sports. He was listed as questionable heading into today but has not played since the regular-season finale.

There is a long line of Miami fanatics and diehards soaking in the Hurricanes' College Football Playoff run, flashing "The U" loudly and proudly as their team pursues a national title for the first time in 24 years.

But always standing in the front and center is a Hall of Famer.

Michael Irvin is the most recognizable Miami superfan on the planet, and maybe the rowdiest. The former Hurricanes star and 1987 national champion has been a constant presence on the sideline all season, cheering, burrowing into team huddles, crawling on all fours during tense moments, hooting, hollering and hugging just about anyone within reach.

Brotherhood has no age limit: Michael Irvin, Miami's legendary alums help power Hurricanes' CFP run

Brandon Marcello

If Miami struggles to affect Trinidad Chambliss in the pocket, the Rebels win. If the Rebels can't protect their quarterback against defensive ends Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, the Hurricanes win. Chambliss has escaped pressure most of the season, but so had Texas A&M's Marcel Reed before Miami sacked him seven times in the first round. Ole Miss' defense is solid but not elite, which should allow the Hurricanes to score at least three touchdowns with a multitude of stars who have been kept at bay against two elite defenses in the CFP. Ole Miss has scored 30-plus in eight straight games.  Pick: Over 51.5