Chambliss, Ole Miss hope to temper Miami motor in first CFP semifinal

MIAMI, Jan. 8 (UPI) — The battle between Mississippi State’s offense and Miami’s ferocious pass rush will begin Thursday in the Fiesta Bowl, the first College Football Playoff semifinal game.

The primetime showdown will be one of several storylines to emerge in a series of exciting matchups. The 10th-ranked Hurricanes (12-2) will take on the No. 6 Rebels (13-1) in Glendale, Ariz., on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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“I think they know who they are and they have a philosophy,” Rebels coach Pete Golding told reporters when asked about the Hurricanes’ pass rush.

“The thing that stood out to me was the energy, the effort and the tenacity, and the explosiveness and explosiveness,” Golding said.

Miami’s frenzied charge is led by 6-foot-3 defensive ends Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor.

Bane, who is projected to be one of the first draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, has totaled 8.5 sacks this season, including 5.5 in the past three games, including the Hurricanes’ first two playoff wins.

Mesido, who is expected to be selected on Days 2 or 3 of the NFL Draft, has recorded 10.5 sacks this season for the Hurricanes, who lead the ACC and are tied for 12th nationally.

But Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss may be uniquely qualified to overcome the persistent pursuit in the first Miami-Mississippi contest since 1951.

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“He’s a magician,” Mesido said of Chambliss. “He’s got a great arm. He can do it all. He’s a dangerous player and we have to contain him.”

Chambliss, who transferred from Ferris State last offseason, took over as the Rebels’ starter in the third game of the season and led the SEC with 3,660 passing yards while passing for 21 points and just three interceptions.

He also ran for 520 yards and eight scores through the first 14 games of the season, and he may need that elusive ability to stave off Bane and the Hurricanes.

“One of his best attributes is his ability to extend the game,” Golding said of Chambliss. “Sometimes he’ll put his sights down the field like he did the other night. He’s got elite accuracy on the move. Sometimes he’ll see a play concept and he’ll stuff it in and be a runner. He’s an elite runner.”

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Like Bane, Chambliss also stepped up in the College Football Playoff. He had three touchdowns, including two rushing scores, in the Rebels’ season-opening win over Tulane. He followed up that performance with 362 yards and two pass scores in a quarterfinal win over the Georgia Bulldogs.

He could now be the catalyst for a breakthrough win for the Rebels, who are still going strong despite losing to LSU over former head coach Lane Kiffin. So far, Chambliss has helped Mississippi rank second in passing yards per game (496.2), including third nationally in passing yards per game (315.9).

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes rank third in sacks per game (3.29), allow the fourth fewest points per game (13.07) and allow the 10th fewest points per game (285.1).

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The Hurricanes also rank fifth against the run and sixth in minutes of possession and can rely on a ball-control strategy to keep the playbook away from Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacey and the rest of the Rebels’ offensive weapons.

“Their front seven, their defensive line, they have guys up front,” Chambliss said of the Hurricanes. “They’re a physical, highly mobile defense. I know [Hurricanes coach] Mario Cristobal will have these guys ready. “

Cristobal was obviously reluctant to reveal the Hurricanes’ defensive game plan, but said his players will be ready to meet the challenge.

“Their offense is really good,” Cristobal said. “Nobody’s really had any success against them. Looking forward to the opportunity to compete.”

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The Hurricanes’ offense, with Carson Beck at quarterback, ranks 30th in points per game this season (31.6) after leading the country in that category in 2024, when they were led by Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

“We have a really good feeling about this team and the talent we’re going to have,” said Baker, an offseason transfer from Georgia. “From the coaches to the players and the way everything is coming together, it’s been an incredible season for us.

“We’re going to continue to work and focus on the things we need to focus on.”

Baker is the top quarterback in the ACC in accuracy this season (74.4 percent). He also led the league with a passer rating of 161.7. But the Hurricanes’ recent success has mostly to do with their ground game, with running back Mark Fletcher rushing for 287 yards from scrimmage in two postseason games.

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Baker also hopes to bring touches to freshman phenom Malachi Toney, who has 94 catches for 1,008 yards and eight scores in 14 games this season, including the game-winning field goal in the Hurricanes’ first-round win over Texas A&M.

“Whoever makes the fewest mistakes, when the opportunities come up, whoever sees those opportunities and takes advantage of them,” Fletcher said of the game.

Rebels wide receiver Harrison Wallace III and Hurricanes wide receiver C.J. Daniels join Toney, Lacy, Fletcher, Bane, Mesido, Baker and Chambliss in the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinals.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Fiesta Bowl ticket prices on the secondary market ranged from about $55 to more than $12,000.

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The cheapest tickets for the Peach Bowl (another College Football Playoff semifinal game between the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers and No. 5 Oregon Ducks) are about $168.

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and the Indians (13-0) or 2026 NFL Draft quarterback prospect Dante Moore and the Ducks (11-1) will face the Hurricanes or Rebels in the national championship game on Jan. 19 in Miami Gardens, Florida.

The Hoosiers and Ducks will meet in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Friday at 7:30 p.m., with coverage on ESPN. Indiana and Miami are both 3.5-point favorites in their respective semifinals.