MIAMI -- For half an hour Sunday morning, Florida head coach Dan Mullen and Virginia's Bronco Mendenhall sat on a raised platform in the ballroom of a Fort Lauderdale hotel taking questions from reporters.
It was the final press conference for both coaches prior to their matchup Monday night in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. As they answered questions, the Orange Bowl trophy rested between them with its cup full of oranges.
This is Mullen's ninth bowl game as a head coach. For Mendenhall, his 14th. They have been down this road before, in search of finding the proper balance between work and pleasure on a bowl trip. Both coaches expressed confidence that their teams had struck the right tone on this trip.
"We're here to win a football game, and then we're going to enjoy the time and the experience,'' Mullen said. "And as long as you have it in that order, you don't miss out on the preparation."
Of course, they both know the tone changes Monday night when the ninth-ranked Gators (10-2) and 24th-ranked Cavaliers (9-4) run onto the field to try and close the book on the 2019 season with a victory. Anytime you are in a New Year's Six bowl, a victory is the perfect launch into the offseason.
Both have specific milestones that can be accomplished.
For the Gators, they can win 11 games for the first time since the 2012 season and finish in the top 10 of the national polls for the second straight season under Mullen.
The Cavaliers can reach 10 wins for the first time in 31 years and defeat a Southeastern Conference school in a bowl game for the second consecutive season.
This game might not have as much riding on it as the LSU-Clemson national title game coming up, but don't tell that to these two.
Asked what a victory would mean to Virginia, Mendenhall responded: "The University of Virginia has one 10-win season in 130 years of football."
Press conference over.
For more on Monday's matchup between Florida and Virginia here is an Orange Bowl edition of The Opening Kickoff: FOUR QUESTIONS WITH ... GATORS WR VAN JEFFERSON
Van Jefferson transferred from Ole Miss and spent his final two seasons with the Gators as a key building block for head coach Dan Mullen's offense. (Photo: Adler Garfield/UAA Communications)
Q: What are your thoughts on your final game?
A: Last time I get to play with a lot of guys, man, and I'm going to miss them a lot. We had a little senior tackle the last week at practice, that was the last time practicing and the game. It's going to be emotional, because I'm not going to see these guys for a long time. We're going on to the next chapter of our lives. We'll see each other again.
Q: How would you describe the direction of the program as you leave?
A: I think it's going up. Coach Mullen came in and did a great job with the program. It's only going to get better, and I think the guys on the team that's going to be on the team next year ... I think that they have a good understanding of what the Gator standard is, so I think the guys leading that team, it's going to go up from here.
Q: What have you seen from Virginia?
A: They're a physical defense. They've got a lot of athletic guys. We've just got to be sound in what we do and execute. Just be technically sound. I think they pose a great challenge for us, and we like challenges, so we've just got to play.
Q: You have caught long passes, but why do you seem to get excited over 4-yard catches?
A: Personally for me, I like the short stuff. I like the slants, the digs and the out-cuts and things like that. I mean, the reason I like it is because I'm kind of quick twitch, so I like to work my moves and things like that. Of course, you like the long stuff, you know, but we've just got to go with the game plan that they give us.
THREE STORYLINES
The Gators can show tangible evidence of improvement in their second season under head coach Dan Mullen by beating the Cavaliers, which would cap only the eighth 11-win season in school history. Florida finished 10-3 in Mullen's first season. A win would also give the Gators a second consecutive victory in a New Year's Six bowl game since Mullen took over.
Quarterbacks Kyle Trask (Florida) and Bryce Perkins (Virginia) have had big seasons and make each team's offense go. The Gators switched to a pass-heavy offense with Trask in the lineup and the dual-threat Perkins is dangerous via the ground or air. They do it differently, but both will have a huge impact on the outcome.
Virginia lost 62-17 to Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game three weeks ago and is eager to put up a better fight against the Gators. With the Clemson loss, Florida in the Orange Bowl and Georgia awaiting in next season's opener, this is one of the toughest three-game stretches in program history. The Cavs can reach 10 wins for only the second time in school history with a victory.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fifth-year senior defensive lineman/linebacker Jonathan Greenard has been superb all season when at full-speed, and with a clean bill of health, Greenard is ready to cap his only season with the Gators with a big game. Greenard leads the team with 14.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and eight quarterback hurries.
Florida senior defensive end Jabari Zuniga is expected to make his long-awaited return after being hampered most of the season by a high-ankle sprain. Zuniga missed seven games completely and played sparingly in three others. Considered a potential first-round pick at the start of the season, a strong performance by Zuniga could help reboot his stock.
Cavaliers senior receiver Joe Reed has a team-high 70 receptions and leads the country in kickoff returns with an average of 34.7 yards per return. Reed is the only player in the country with 500 or more receiving yards (561) and 700 or more kick-return yards (743).
THREE DIGITS
46 –Number of sacks for the Gators. Florida has recorded 50 sacks in a single season three times: 1989, '96, '97.
32.4– Points per game for Virginia, second-most in school history behind the 40.2 average by the 1990 Cavaliers.
3-0 –Florida's record in the Orange Bowl, beating Georgia Tech (1967), Syracuse (1999) and Maryland (2002). The Gators also beat Oklahoma in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game hosted by the Orange Bowl. INJURY REPORT
While the Gators haven't played in the venue now known as Hard Rock Stadium since 2013, the Cavaliers played there earlier this season. Bryce Hall
Virginia lost to host Miami on a Friday night in mid-October. The Cavaliers lost more than the game. They lost senior captain and All-American cornerback Bryce Hall to a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery.
A projected first-round pick, Hall was hurt while blocking on a punt return. He is with the team in Miami and has taken on a different role.
"He's grown into a very unique role,'' Cavaliers coach Bronco Mendenhall said Sunday. "He's found and developed his own faith and has formed a partnership with the team chaplain, and so he's kind of part coach, part spiritual advisor, part young entrepreneur and part NFL prospect. He just adds a positive influence in a really unique way that bridges the gap between player and coach." THEY SAID IT
"I think the program is in a great position right now, and I think everybody knows how much I love being a Florida Gator." -- Florida head coach Dan Mullen on Sunday when asked about his name linked to NFL jobs
"I don't intend to put it behind us until we rectify any of the deficiencies that were exposed. I intend to use it to leverage the program and moving forward every minute, every second until we become better." -- Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall on putting the 45-point loss to Clemson in the rearview mirror
"Florida hasn't faced anyone like this." -- Virginia receiver Hasise Dubois on dynamic Cavs quarterback Bryce Perkins
"They got some players, so we can't take them lightly at all. They're here for a reason just like we are. Just going into the game, not taking them lightly, going to try to impose our will on them." -- UF senior linebacker Jonathan Greenard of facing Virginia
"To go from 10 wins to 11 wins is a huge step. Most people might think that's easy, but to get that extra win is hard. So that's what we're hoping to get on Monday." -- Gators defensive tackle Kyree Campbell
BOTTOM LINE
A two-touchdown favorite, the Gators have had fun during their time in South Florida. However, they have worked hard and locked in on the task at hand when needed according to Mullen. With a chance at a rare 11-win season, the Gators appear focused to take another step toward their goal of a berth in the College Football Playoff someday soon. This is a game the Gators should win based on their talent advantage, but it's one you can expect to see Cavs quarterback Bryce Perkins make some big plays. Still, Perkins has shown a tendency to turn the ball over and with Florida's persistent pass rush, if the Gators can force Perkins into a mistake or two early and take advantage, they could make it a long night for the Cavaliers. Virginia hangs for a while but the Gators eventually take control and finish 11-2 with a spot in the top six once the final polls are released.
