Miami bobbles easy pick, Ole Miss doinks field goal as teams trade third-quarter gaffes
By David Wasson
Published:
The second half of Thursday night’s Fiesta Bowl did not begin as a picture of college football brilliance, as both Miami and Ole Miss traded gaffes in Glendale, Arizona.
The Hurricanes were first up, somehow not coming up with an interception of Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss despite linebacker Wesley Bissainthe putting both hands on the football with it squarely in his lap.
The Miami drop forced a fourth down, but Ole Miss was unable to capitalize on the second chance – as Rebels kicker Lucas Carneiro doinked a 51-yard field goal attempt cleanly off the left upright.
Carneiro’s miss was notable in that he had already made two field goals earlier in the game, connecting from 42 yards midway through the second quarter then booming a 58-yarder through the uprights right before halftime to make it 17-13.
Carneiro entered the game as one of the more reliable kickers in the country, connecting on 27-of-30 field goal attempts in 2025 – missing once all season from 20-39 yards, once from 40-49 yards and once from 50-plus yards. He doinked another kick later in the third quarter, but that one managed to fall through the uprights.
Miami’s defense was also stellar against the pass all season, as the Hurricanes entered the College Football Playoff semifinals with 16 interceptions. The Hurricanes dropped another easy pick later in the third, too.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
