No. 10 Miami must clean up mistakes to end national title drought after thrilling Fiesta Bowl win over No. 6 Ole Miss

The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes made it harder on themselves than they needed to, but a late three-yard TD run from quarterback Carson Beck sealed a thrilling 31-27 win over No. 6 Ole Miss in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

While the Miami defense surrendered 398 total yards, it was just as stout as it has been throughout the College Football Playoff for much of the night, forcing back-to-back three-and-outs to start the game and holding the Rebels' explosive offense to just 2-of-10 on third down.

The nation's fourth-best defense (13.8 PPG) was certainly tested down the stretch by Ole Miss (13-2), but it did its part and limited the production from Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels offense. There are some mistakes, though, that Miami must improve on if it is going to win its first national title since 2001.

Miami must clean up mistakes if it is going to win national title

Although Ole Miss took care of the ball and did not beat itself with penalties or turnovers, the Hurricanes were flagged 10 times for 74 yards, threw one interception, dropped multiple interception attempts defensively and missed a field goal early in the third quarter.

Miami (13-2) held a 3-0 lead after the first quarter and completely dominated Ole Miss before the Rebels took a 7-3 lead on running back Kewan Lacy's 73-yard TD rush. Even after a frenetic second quarter, the Hurricanes took a four-point lead into the break in a game that should not have been that close at the time.

In the third quarter, kicker Carter Davis missed a 51-yard attempt, while Beck was picked off on the next possession with the ball just outside the red zone on the 24-yard line. Ole Miss only tacked on a field goal to make it a one-point game, but the fact that Miami was not able to put a capable Ole Miss offense away up to that point led to a track meet in the final 15 minutes.

Beck, who was 23-of-37 for 268 yards with two TDs and one interception, stepped up in crunch time, while running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (22 carries, 133 yards) and wide receivers Keelan Marion (seven catches, 114 yards, one TD) and Malachi Toney (five catches, 81 yards, one TD) were key to Miami's win.

In the end, it was enough and continues what has been a remarkable run for a Miami team that was the last at-large bid selected to the CFP. The Hurricanes held Texas A&M to three points and eliminated the defending champions, Ohio State, in the quarterfinals before taking down Ole Miss.

Miami dominated the time of possession, 41:22 to 18:38, but could not put Ole Miss away due to the ill-timed penalties and stalled drives. Give Ole Miss credit, though, as Chambliss once again proved how clutch he can be in the waning moments of any game, especially if you give him a chance.

However, the fact that this was even a game heading to the fourth quarter was largely due to Miami's inability to make the necessary plays to extend its lead. The Hurricanes answered Ole Miss late when they needed to, but it may not be the same result when the title is on the line if those issues are not corrected.

Whether it is Oregon or Indiana, both teams have proved to be elite defenses and two of the more balanced teams in the country. For Miami to beat either of them, it must clean up some of its mistakes from the Fiesta Bowl.