No. 6 Mississippi (13-1, CFP No. 6 seed) vs. No. 10 Miami (12-2, CFP No. 10 seed), Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EST (ESPN)
BetMGM Sportsbook College Football Odds: Miami by 3 1/2.
Series record: Miami leads 2-1.
What’s at stake?
The first of two College Football Playoff semifinals pits two teams not expected to get this far. Miami didn’t play in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game due to tiebreakers, but earned the CFP nod over champion Duke thanks to its resume and CFP ranking. The Hurricanes are vying for their first national title since 2001 behind a suffocating defense and a steady offense led by Georgia transfer quarterback Carson Beck. Miami held No. 7 seed Texas A&M and second-seeded Ohio State to 17 combined points the first two CFP rounds. Ole Miss spent the last part of the regular season wondering if coach Lane Kiffin would leave for LSU and played two playoff games after he made the jump. Behind dual-threat quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, the high-scoring Rebels blew out Tulane in the first round of the playoffs and took down No. 3 seed Georgia in the quarterfinals.
Key matchup
The Fiesta Bowl will be a classic case of strength against strength. Miami’s defense was one of the best in the nation in its first season under coordinator Corey Hetherman. The Hurricanes are stout up front, loaded with athletes in the secondary and have shut down teams all season. Miami’s defense was fourth nationally in scoring, allowing 13 points per game, and 10th in total defense at 285 yards allowed per game. The Rebels are keyed by their offense. A Division II player a year ago, Chambliss has thrived since becoming the starter in the third game of the season, racking up 4,180 total yards and 29 touchdowns. Ole Miss was second nationally with 496.2 yards per game and averaged 37.6 points, 10th in the FBS.
Players to watch
Miami: Defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound junior has been a wrecking ball at the heart of Miami’s defense all season. Despite facing near constant double teams, Bain had 13 tackles for loss, including 9 1/2 sacks. He had three sacks against Texas A&M and was constantly in the face of Ohio State’s Julian Sayin in the CFP quarterfinals. The tandem of Bain and Akheem Mesidor gives the Hurricanes one of the most dominating 1-2 punches on the defensive line.
Ole Miss: RB Kewan Lacy. While Chambliss has deservedly grabbed most of the headlines, Lacy has been a big reason defenses can’t load up to stop Chambliss. The 5-11, 200-pound transfer from Missouri was third in the FBS with 1,464 yards rushing and his 23 rushing TDs are third in SEC history. Lacy announced this week that he’s returning to Ole Miss for another season.
Facts & figures
Beck has thrown for 3,313 yards and 27 touchdowns on 74% passing with 10 interceptions in his first season with the Hurricanes. He is 36-5 as a starter. … Ole Miss WR Harrison Wallace III had one of the best games of his Ole Miss career against Georgia, finishing with nine catches for 156 yards and a touchdown. … Miami is 0-4 all-time at the Fiesta Bowl, including a loss to Ohio State in the 2002 BCS title game. … Former defensive coordinator Pete Golding was promoted to head coach of the Rebels after Kiffin left. Several assistant coaches who are expected to join Kiffin at LSU have remained with Ole Miss through its playoff run. … Miami WR Malachi Toney led all FBS freshmen with 94 catches and 1,008 yards receiving. Nicknamed “Baby Jesus,” he had the game-winning catch after earlier losing a fumble against Texas A&M.
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