The College Football Playoff semifinals kicked off Thursday night, as the Miami Hurricanes and Ole Miss Rebels squared off. Much of the talk entering the game had been about Miami's powerful and efficient run game going against a lackluster Ole Miss defense. But early on, it was the Runnin' Rebels who put run-game excellence on display.
With Miami leading 3-0 to begin the second quarter, Ole Miss tailback Kewan Lacy ripped off a 73-yard touchdown run. He hit the hole and burst into the secondary, showing off his speed as he went untouched for the score.
KEWAN LACY 73 YARDS TO THE 🏠 pic.twitter.com/h7jsXm77V9
— ESPN (@espn) January 9, 2026
This was Lacy's 23rd rushing touchdown of the season.
That tied him with Florida's Tim Tebow (2007) and Auburn's Tre Mason (2013) for the third most in single-season SEC history. He trails, to no one's surprise, a pair of Alabama legends in Derrick Henry (28 in 2015) and Najee Harris (26 in 2020).
The touchdown gave Ole Miss their first lead of the game. But it was short lived.
Miami answered with a lengthy, 15-play drive, finished off with a CharMar Brown 4-yard rushing score. The Hurricanes and Rebels are tied, 10-10, midway through the second quarter as of this writing.
One more score from Lacy on Thursday night will move him into third place alone. But if he wants any chance of catching either ‘Bama running back, Ole Miss will need to find a way to win the game.
The winner will face either the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers or the dangerous Oregon Ducks. That Big Ten battle will kick off Friday night at the Chick-Filet Peach Bowl from Atlanta, GA.
The National Championship will be held on Monday, January 19th.
