SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said Tuesday he is "very confident" starting defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr. will play against Ole Miss in Thursday's College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl. Moten sustained an ankle injury in the quarterfinals against Ohio State, played just 19 snaps, and had been listed as questionable coming into this week. Cornerback OJ Frederique Jr., who also left the win over Ohio State with an injury, was listed as probable and is expected to play against the Rebels. Meanwhile, Hetherman said cornerback Damari Brown (lower leg) "will have a shot to play" after being out since Nov. 29. This is all good news for a Miami defense that has only gained in strength as the CFP has progressed. Moten has been a key part to the interior of a Miami defensive line that has owned the line of scrimmage in wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State. Miami has 12 sacks in both playoff games and currently leads the nation with 46 sacks. Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. have spearheaded the renewed aggression up front. While Mesidor says the defense has relished "playing with violence," there is no getting around the extra motivation they have felt with perceived slights. Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III said of Bain, "I don't think he'll be a threat that we need to worry about too much," leading into their playoff game. Bain had three sacks and four tackles for loss in the win. Last week, Ohio State was a 9.5-point favorite leading into the game and receiver Jeremiah Smith said, "We got something coming for them New Year's Eve." Miami was the team that ended up winning by double digits. Now this week, all the headlines have revolved around Ole Miss and which coaches who left for LSU will be allowed to coach in the game Thursday. Miami -- a team with five national championships -- has found itself in a bit of an odd position as a team that has generally flown under the radar. But that is something the Hurricanes have embraced. "It's definitely something that fuels us, and it's also definitely something that keeps us going," Miami nickelback Keionte Scott said. "We're definitely trying to rewrite the Miami Hurricane narrative around the country for sure right now." Mesidor said while the team has tried to ignore the "outside noise," he also said, "We thrive off people hating. We love being an underdog. We don't care if you don't believe in us. We believe in each other, and we're going to play like we got something to prove every time." When asked how Miami could be an underdog considering the history and tradition of the program, Mesidor said, "Back in the 2000s, '90s and the '80s it wasn't the case but these past two decades the U has been through a bunch of different issues. Now we're the underdogs every year and we embrace that."