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2026 Fiesta Bowl - Miami vs. Ole Miss (CFP Semifinal #1)

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Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN and the ESPN App. Line is MIA -3.5

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Manny Navarro: Miami’s Keionte Scott making the most of unexpected second chance… after sleeping on the job

Keionte Scott thought he was done with college football at the end of the 2024 season. He’d gone from starting 22 games in three seasons in Auburn’s secondary and a potential Senior Bowl invite to being relegated to the bench during a tough-to-stomach 5-7 season. He realized that he was a long shot to make an NFL roster. Then, one day in December, Scott looked down at his phone and read the two words that saved his playing career: “JUCO rule.”

Diego Pavia’s victory in court in December 2024, which granted Scott and all former junior college players an extra year of eligibility, paved the way for the 24-year-old cornerback to make the most of his second chance. Scott, the defensive MVP of last week’s Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State, has been instrumental in Miami’s late-season push for the program’s first national championship since the year he was born. “Keionte Scott’s the epitome of a competitor, of a great teammate, a laudable performer,” coach Mario Cristobal said. “When the lights come on, there’s zero flinch.”

His 72-yard pick six in Miami’s 24-14 win over the defending national champs shifted the momentum back in the Hurricanes’ favor right before the half — and was yet another highlight reel moment for arguably the best nickelback in college football. Scott isn’t as well-known as Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, but he, too, is in the midst of an unlikely journey from an unknown prospect to a starring role on the sport’s biggest stage.

In 12 games this season, he’s produced 58 tackles, 13 for loss (the most for any defensive back at the FBS level) and five sacks, and he has returned both of his interceptions for touchdowns. Scott led the Hurricanes in their first-round College Football Playoff win at Texas A&M with 10 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. That was his first game back after missing a month with what coach Cristobal described as a “gut-wrenching” turf-toe injury.

Scott, who signed with Miami in May, didn’t want to squander his last opportunity at stardom. Want proof? During preseason camp, he slept on an inflatable mattress inside the Hurricanes’ indoor football facility. He’d spend hours watching film, running extra laps and bonding with his new teammates.

“It was just to be in the moment,” said Scott, who was eventually joined by freshman receivers Malachi Toney and Daylyn Upshaw in the sleepovers. “I’ve done it for multiple years (at other schools), but sleeping in this thing was definitely different. You know, looking up at the (All-America) banners and all the legends that came before me was just something I wanted to do. Just take the time, hone in and focus and be where everybody was. You look up, and you see Ed Reed and different names, and it was something I just wanted to take in.”

Scott’s journey began about 2,600 miles away in the San Diego area. Despite being a standout football player and track star in the Class of 2020 at Helix High in La Mesa, Calif., he fell behind in the classroom and had to tell college coaches from Washington, USC and San Diego State that he didn’t have the grades to qualify. “I didn’t think I was ever going to be able to go to college,” Scott said. “I was just playing football because I loved it.”

Scott ended up at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, a “super small town,” he described as having “one streetlight, one McDonald’s, one Walmart.” “I had to fall in love with the grind and the work and was able to meet multiple people with tougher stories than mine,” he said. Scott emerged as the No. 1 junior college cornerback in the country, per 247Sports, in the Class of 2022. Cristobal tried to recruit him to Oregon, but Scott signed with Auburn, where he started 22 games over three seasons.

After being granted the extra year of eligibility, Scott followed his position coach, Zac Etheridge, to Houston in January 2025 but then pivoted to Miami in the spring when Miami hired Etheridge. Miami’s defense has undergone a great transformation in one season under new coordinator Corey Hetherman. Edge rushers Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. have received the bulk of the credit, but there’s not a player in Miami’s locker room who doesn’t recognize Scott as one of the team’s biggest leaders and most important players.

“It does a lot for the defense, just having another weapon on the field who can eliminate plays and threats,” Bain said. “He’s aggressive. He’s flying around 100 miles per hour at all times, and he’s trying to make plays. It’s motivation for me because I know if I don’t get it, Keionte is going to be right there.” Scott earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2025 and was among the 15 semifinalists for the Thorpe Award. He might’ve been a finalist if not for the injury, which forced him to miss Miami’s last two regular-season games. It’s been quite the turnaround after his 2024 season ended on a sour note.

“I needed what happened (last year). It taught me so much,” he said. “It shows today in my game. I’ve taken pride in becoming a leader, being the guy I am, being Keionte, having fun, smiling, making sure I’m cheering everybody up, keeping everybody motivated and just having fun playing football again.”

I'm going to the game tonight. I find myself torn on which team to root for. On one hand Miami did eliminate the Aggies and the Buckeyes, on the other hand I'm still getting over the 1991 Cotton Bowl.

5 minutes ago, Colonel Sanders said:

I'm going to the game tonight. I find myself torn on which team to root for. On one hand Miami did eliminate the Aggies and the Buckeyes, on the other hand I'm still getting over the 1991 Cotton Bowl.

I liked Miami because they were a pain in the ass to OU and now they've taken a giant shit on aggy and Ohio State. I'm back on board and I was at that 1991 Cotton Bowl.

As an aside, that 1990 Miami team is a lot like this one - underachieved during the year but was a lot better than people thought. That team would have torn through a playoff that year.

10 minutes ago, Colonel Sanders said:

I'm going to the game tonight. I find myself torn on which team to root for. On one hand Miami did eliminate the Aggies and the Buckeyes, on the other hand I'm still getting over the 1991 Cotton Bowl.

Awesome. Have a great time.

4 hours ago, The Dog said:

r/cfbmemes - I’m pumped

Since you put it that way, GO CONVICTS!

I'll be fine with whomever wins this game as well as the national championship given the 4 teams remaining. If Ole Miss wins it all, that would be extra lulz at Lane. However, my proclivity to not root for fellow conference teams (none of that "SEC-SEC-SEC" bullshit) makes me root for Ole Miss the least out of the 4 I guess.

As a huge CFB nerd, I am just hoping for 3 tremendous games before the lonnnnggggg off-season.

I saw a gal in Ole Miss garb this morning. Guess that means I gotta root for the convicts

Ole Miss should be an easy root , they are SEC and i hate the canes since the 80s . you should hear what they say about that cotton bowl game against the horns . !!!

Rooting for Old Miss to win it all now quite frankly. Mainly so that with a little more luck Lane Kiffin misses out on his what could have been his championship! Plus I like a group of guys abandoned by their leader coming together and winning in spite of the abandonment. The more I think about Kiffin crying over his spilled milk, the more I am feeling more excited rooting for Old Miss.

And the sooner we can get Micheal Irvin off of TV making a spectacle of himself the better!

7 minutes ago, horn4life said:

And the sooner we can get Micheal Irvin off of TV making a spectacle of himself the better!

Nope. High comedy.

I don't get how Ole Miss winning is a downer in any way for Kiffin. He's human enough to definitely root for his guys and be happy for them. But even more than that, he WILL get the majority of credit if they win it all. His name will probably be mentioned on the broadcast almost as much as Pete what's his name (honestly I'm not even sure it's Pete). And social media and reaction coverage will totally be slanted more towards Lane/LSU than boring ass Mississippi. Whatever happens, LSU will be top 3 in all the "way too early" rankings.

2 hours ago, horn4life said:

Rooting for Old Miss to win it all now quite frankly. Mainly so that with a little more luck Lane Kiffin misses out on his what could have been his championship! Plus I like a group of guys abandoned by their leader coming together and winning in spite of the abandonment. The more I think about Kiffin crying over his spilled milk, the more I am feeling more excited rooting for Old Miss.

And the sooner we can get Micheal Irvin off of TV making a spectacle of himself the better!

Agreed on both counts

I'm not rooting for Ole Miss. I'm rooting against Lane Kiffin and Miami.

fist bumped an ole miss hottie at heb just now, great ass

hotty toddy !

2 minutes ago, Hammerin Hank said:

Doesn’t Kiffen get a bonus from LSU for each ole miss playoff win? I thought that was part of his contract

yes

If Miami defense continues to play like it has, I think they win tonight. Also, Beck’s big game experience may pay off tonight.

I'm pulling for Indiana to win it all, but if they don't I'd just as soon see LSU pay Lane for Ole Miss's fortune because it will be that much funnier when LSU never wins one with Lane before he bolts for the NFL.

Put that last 10 minutes of “commentary” in the Broadcast Hall of Fame….

2 hours ago, satyanash said:

No reason why it couldn't be Big XII. B1G should be considered conflicted out.

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8 minutes ago, chainsaw said:

No reason why it couldn't be Big XII. B1G should be considered conflicted out.

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Texas is the only team to have won all 6 NY6 Bowls

Miami is missing the Fiesta Bowl from their resume

Therefore

Hotty Toddy

2 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:

Texas is the only team to have won all 6 NY6 Bowls

Miami is missing the Fiesta Bowl from their resume

Therefore

Hotty Toddy

Finally … unassailable logic.

Ole Miss feels firmly like the underdog. I think it comes down to the Ole Miss defense keeping them in the game. The weak link for Miami feels like Carson Beck. If they can get to him, I think they have an excellent shot to win it.

22 minutes ago, chainsaw said:

Did I miss the gameday predictions

They all went for The U. Congratulations Ole Miss fans.

We are seeing The U play to the level people thought they were gonna be early in the season. That's a #1 caliber team.

1 minute ago, Vic Mackey said:

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Kinda hard to root for a literal confederate solider though

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