1. Jaelan Phillips might have only three games left with Miami

It’s no secret that Miami has a top-5 defensive line in the country and a big part of that is Phillips. The UCLA-transfer has been on a tear in his first season with the Canes and had yet another dominant performance against Duke: 4 tackes, 3.5 TFL’s, and 1.5 sacks. Duke really had no answers for him all night and JP had many reasons to dance.

Phillips was absolutely dominant last night in all aspects. Duke tried to fool him but he’s too smart and too athletic to let a reverse get around him. Enjoy watching him these last few games. pic.twitter.com/AeRmYJYywY

— Canes Legacy (@CanesLegacy) December 6, 2020

I’m not trying to leave out Quincy Roche’s performance (6 tackles, 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks) but man, it’s crazy to realize how far Phillips has come. Since medically retiring in 2018 due to injuries from a scooter accident, he arrived in Coral Gables weighing around 225-230 to 255-260 now. There’s not much left that he has to prove and it’s looking like the Canes will have three defensive ends (Phillips, Roche, and Greg Rousseau) drafted in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft.

2. Tackling has improved tremendously

At times this season, it seemed as if the defense was in position to make plays a ton but there were too many arm tackle attempts or just an inability to wrap up. The defense had much better technique on Saturday and as a result, Duke’s yards at the initial point of attack and after the catch were very limited. To give you an idea of this in statistical form, if you were to base Duke QB Chase Brice’s performance off of completions/attempts, he had a really good day. Brice completed 20 of his 25 passes, but only threw for 94 yards.

This team put on a clinic yesterday with their tackling. By far their best performance of the year in that regard. Huge shoutout to Baker and the rest of the defensive staff for utilizing the time off to make improvements. pic.twitter.com/hTDJG9dBMR

— Canes Legacy (@CanesLegacy) December 6, 2020

The Canes dealt with a lot of short passes but a lot of credit goes to not only the players (Bubba Bolden’s 9 tackles, Amari Carter’s 7 tackles, Keontra Smith, Bradley Jennings, Waynmon Steed) but also to DC Blake Baker and coach Diaz for making proper adjustments during the long, problematic layloff.

3. Miami’s future is bright at LB

The Canes were without four linebackers on Saturday: Sam Brooks, Zach McCloud, Avery Huff, and Patrick Joyner. That meant more time for a couple of the true freshmen: Corey Flagg and Tirek Austin-Cave. They did not disappoint by any means, as Flagg’s instincts and speed were on full display. As our own Jazz Santana on Saturday’s Sixth Ring post game show, there was a period of time in the second quarter where it seemed like even if he didn’t make the tackle, he was always around the ball or play. He finished with 5 tackles and one fumble recovery.

Welcome to the Turnover Chain Club, @CoreyFlaggJr! pic.twitter.com/vLIclbryo1

— Canes Football (@CanesFootball) December 6, 2020

Tirek Austin-Cave had a solid game as well and finished with three tackles.

Even with the Canes short-handed at the position and thinking this could be a long day because of it, Flagg and Austin-Cave as well as the rest of the linebackers really showed up to play.

4. The running game is absolutely capable with Navaughn Doanldson on the field

The senior left guard made his season debut after opting to use 2020 as a redshirt year to nurse a nagging injury and get in better shape for 2021. He did not start but it’s clear from this play alone that he might be the best run blocker out of Miami’s other options at left guard, who are Jakai Clark and Ousmane Traore. He seals the Duke DT, which opens up a huge hole for Cam Harris.

The run game was a big topic of discussion and the offense delivered. What a giant hole the OL gave Harris. Look who’s in at left guard…big Navaughn Donaldson. Welcome back young man. pic.twitter.com/5G3gda8QPn

— Canes Legacy (@CanesLegacy) December 6, 2020

Miami might be out of contention for the ACC Championship but there’s still a lot to play for with two games left, including a possible Orange Bowl berth. Donaldson’s performances right now can also build a lot of momentum for next season, where the Canes will get ready to take on Alabama in the season opener.

5. This team is capable of blowing teams out

I don’t even need to bring up what Miami’s biggest problem has been in the past few years and it’s been playing down to the competition. Miami has either barely squeaked by or lost to many teams that were absolutely inferior from a talent standpoint and it’s reassuring to know that this team is capable of dominating teams that are not on the same level as Miami. A big takeaway from this is that there absolutely is a culture shift in how coaches and players approach game preparation.

Be sure to look out for another episode of The Sixth Ring on Tuesday as we recap Miami-Duke and get into the need-to-know on recruiting as the Early Signing Period is right around the corner.

Stay tuned to @5ReasonsCanes and @PaulAustria_ on Twitter for the latest in Hurricanes news and catch us on The Sixth Ring show twice a week as well pre and post-game.

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