Reality sinks in for Virginia football as it arrives in South Florida for Orange Bowl
The rain came in droves in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday as the Virginia football team arrived in South Florida.
But no amount of dark skies or gusty winds could dampen the 24th-ranked Cavaliers’ mood as they get ready to face No. 9 Florida in the program’s first ever appearance in the Orange Bowl on Monday at Hard Rock Stadium.
They knew for close to a month they would be playing in this game.
It finally sunk in on Thursday.
“It really makes you feel like ‘OK, we’re finally here’,” quarterback Bryce Perkins said. “All offseason, we’ve been practicing and it felt like fall camp all over again. We’ve been itching to get here and compete.”
And when they do get back on the field, it will put an end to a solid season for a football program not known for major success.
The Cavaliers went 9-4 and reached the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game for the first time, where they ultimately lost 62-17 to Clemson.
Should Virginia pull off the upset against Florida — the Gators are a two-touchdown favorite — they would be just the second Cavaliers team to ever hit the 10-win threshold. The other came back in 1989.
”It’s an absolute, tangible, realistic step for the advancement of our program,” fourth-year Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “It’s a little surreal right now but acknowledging the journey that we’ve been on and how hard our players work, this is the next step for our program.”
And while there is already plenty to celebrate, Virginia knows its trip to South Florida is ultimately a business trip.
“I think framing is everything,” Mendenhall said. “The bowl experience — and especially the Orange Bowl experience — is educational and a life transforming event for all of our players. That’s what college is but so is preparing and performing well when you have an opportunity. Balancing life is part of becoming an adult. This will be a great test and challenge for them.”
This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 7:14 PM.
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