No. 6 Ole Miss lost a heartbreaker against No. 10 Miami 31-27 in the Fiesta Bowl, costing the Rebels a shot at the program’s first-ever national title game appearance. But while the Hurricanes are heading to the national title game, contact on the final Hail Mary attempt will leave many fans wondering what could have been. 

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss put his cape on in perhaps his final appearance with the Rebels, connecting for consecutive passes of 23 and 17 yards to reach the Miami 35-yard line. Both teams called a timeout with six seconds remaining, knowing that the next play would likely be the final one in Phoenix. 

Chambliss dropped back, backpedaling to buy time and then targeted receiver De’Zhaun Stribling in the corner of the end zone. Stribling got a hand on the ball, but was unable to reel it in through multiple defenders. He quickly put his hands in the air in protest. 

As Stribling made his way down the field, Miami cornerback Ethan O’Connor seemed to hold onto his pads. Stribling’s jersey moved due to O’Connor’s pull, and Stribling pushed back against O’Connor’s face. O’Connor also appeared to pull down as the ball reached the end zone. 

Ole Miss players after the play looked to the officials with confusion, expecting a flag, but none came. 

ESPN rules analyst Bill LeMonnier was asked about the play on the broadcast. Despite the fighting and pulling, he agreed with the decision to not throw a flag and let the game end. 

“When we have mutual combat, we’re going to leave that alone 99% of the time,” LeMonnier said. 

On the day, Miami was the more penalized team, committing 10 violations for 74 yards. Ole Miss was more disciplined, called for only four for 34 yards. During one key sequence, the Hurricanes committed a pass interference and a late hit in consecutive plays, pushing Ole Miss into the red zone. However, they only escaped with a field goal. It’s also worth noting that the game was officiated by a neutral Big Ten crew. 

Miami quarterback Carson Beck led a legacy-defining drive in the waning seconds of regulation, running for a touchdown with only 18 seconds remaining. The Hurricanes are now set to play in their first national championship game since 2002. The title game is taking place at Hard Rock Stadium, the same venue where the Hurricanes play their home games. 

For Ole Miss, much of the coaching staff is set to leave for LSU after former coach Lane Kiffin left before the College Football Playoff. Pete Golding was promoted to head coach before the postseason, and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. remained to call plays. With this result, Weis’s tenure in Oxford is over.