Even with just 0:5 left on the clock, Ole Miss hd a chance to make it to the National Championship.
Beck scrambling for 3 yards to put Miami in a 31-27 lead over the Rebels with less than 20 seconds remaining was on no one's bingo card.
Yet, in those 15 seconds, Chambliss put up a play that could have gotten the Rebs across, the only play that could be made at that time: the Hail Mary.
Chambliss lobbed the ball from Miami's 35-yard line toward the back corner of the end zone to wideout De'Zhaun Stribling.
Missed PI call sparks controversy
Stribling almost made that catch in the end zone. Almost. The ball deflected off Stribling's left hand since he appeared to be getting contacted by Miami defensive back Ethan O'Connor.
An alternate angle making rounds on the internet clearly shows O'Connor having his hand in Stribling's collar as the ball arrived, and that Stribling was doing something similar to O'Connor.
This time, no DPI on Miami to close the Fiesta Bowl. pic.twitter.com/byZL6A9OfK
— Connor O'Gara (@cjogara) January 9, 2026
After all that jockeying left the pass incomplete, Stribling was standing there with his hands up in the air, expecting the refs to come any moment to throw the flag on the Canes.
Neither the flag nor the officials came, and the game was sealed in what clearly appeared to be a missed PI call.
Had Ole Miss got the benefit, they could have still had a small chance at making it to the National Championship.
However, ESPN rules expert Bill LeMonnier explained how Hail Mary situations like these are generally left alone by the refs for a reason.
“We have what we call mutual combat. Both players are getting their hands on each other. We’re going to leave that alone 99% of the time. I want to see one of them get a true, true advantage.”
Regardless, Ole Miss couldn't have finished the season that will go down in the record books with a better fight.