The start of Miami’s run in the College Football Playoff has looked quite different from the way it ended the regular season. Fans can expect some more fireworks when the Hurricanes go up against Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl.
In Miami’s four-game win streak to finish its CFP résumé, it pushed the offense button over and over again, scoring no fewer than 34 points. But in its first two playoff games, UM has scored a combined 34 points, opening with a 10-3 defensive slobberknocker in windy conditions at Texas A&M before opening it up a little in a 24-14 Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State, the nation’s No. 1 defense. One of those touchdowns came on a Keionte Scott pick-six, while another came in the game’s final minute.
That likely will change when the Hurricanes face the Rebels’ high-octane offense. Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels haven’t scored fewer than 24 points all season, and they’ve topped 40 five times. They did it once in a 41-10 blowout over Tulane in the first round then nearly did it again with a 39-34 shootout win against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
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Ole Miss might not have Lane Kiffin around anymore, but they do have running back Kewan Lacy and his 23 rushing touchdowns. How well he plays on an injured shoulder will be seen, but he did pick up 98 yards with two TDs in the Sugar Bowl. Safe to say Miami will have to put up points to play in the national championship game.
Miami vs. Ole Miss prediction
It’s a classic strength-on-strength clash between Ole Miss’ second-ranked offense (496 yards per game) and Miami’s 10th-ranked defense (285 ypg). By scoring, Ole Miss is 10th (37.6 points per game) and Miami is fourth (13 ppg). The Hurricanes’ top task is bottling up quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who finished eighth in Heisman voting. Even though they’ve managed dual-threat QBs just fine this year (Florida State’s Tommy Castellanos put up strong numbers but mostly after UM had already taken a 28-3 lead), Chambliss showed in the Sugar Bowl he can be a threat with just his arm, running for just 14 yards but systematically dismantling Georgia’s defense. It will be on Rueben Bain, Akheem Mesidor and company to deaden the fuse before the Rebels bomb goes off; UGA didn’t sack Chambliss once.
If the run game can keep its current momentum going and Carson Beck can keep his turnover problems in check (he’s thrown just one pick in the past six games), the Hurricanes should be heading back to Miami for one more game this season.
Miami vs. Ole Miss scouting report
Why Miami has an advantage: The Rebels have a decent defense, but they’re weak against the run, finishing 12th in the SEC in rush defense. That’s a few spots behind Texas A&M, against whom Mark Fletcher ran for a career-best 172 yards earlier in the CFP. Ole Miss relies on its offense to simply outscore the other team’s offense, as the defense has allowed 30 or more points three times. For contrast, Miami has given up 21 points four times as opposed to seven times for the Rebels.
Why Ole Miss has an advantage: Byrum Brown, Tommy Castellanos and Marcel Reed are good running quarterbacks, but the Hurricanes haven’t faced a threat quite like Trinidad Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense. The transfer from Division II Ferris State ranks fifth in the nation with 3,660 passing yards and is his team’s second-leading rusher with 520 yards on the ground. To top it off, he’s kept the ball safe, throwing just three interceptions and fumbling only twice (losing one).
Miami vs. Ole Miss injury updates
Miami’s top cornerback, O.J. Frederique, was carted off with a leg injury during the Cotton Bowl and was on crutches at the end of the game. However, the player availability report listed him as probable for the Fiesta Bowl. Starting defensive tackle Ahmad Moten also left the Cotton Bowl early with an ankle injury; he’s listed as questionable, along with cornerback Damari Brown and defensive lineman Cole McConathy II. Receiver Daylyn Upshaw and linebacker Malik Bryant are out.
For Ole Miss, star running back Kewan Lacy was listed as probable with a shoulder injury he suffered in the CFP first-round game vs. Tulane. He played through it in the Sugar Bowl and had 22 carries. Tight end Dae’Quan Wright and wideout Cayden Lee, the Rebels’ fourth- and fifth- leading receiver with 571 and 568 yards respectively, also are probable. Cornerback Cedrick Beavers, linebacker Raymond Collins and offensive tackle John Wayne Oliver are out.
Miami vs. Ole Miss score prediction
Miami 27, Ole Miss 20.
When does Miami play Ole Miss in Fiesta Bowl?
The Hurricanes will kick off against the Rebels at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game will be broadcast on ESPN with streaming options including the ESPN app with a subscription to the Unlimited plan, as well as Fubo, which carries ESPN and offers a free trial for new subscribers.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami vs Ole Miss predictions: Why Fiesta Bowl will look different
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
