“I’m thankful to the senior class,” Mendenhall said. “Those that came, most of whom I didn’t select but honored their commitments when I came to the University of Virginia, that started with a 2-10 season and now find themselves on the verge and a great chance to have won the Orange Bowl and set a foundation, and I consider them a legacy class in terms of establishing what UVa football really is.”

The final loss of the seniors’ careers wasn’t just a loss, it was a competitive showing in the program’s first Orange Bowl appearance. Fans, alumni and recruits watched as the Cavaliers looked the part of a Top 25 football program. Virginia had chances in the second half to beat a Florida team that only fell to No. 1 LSU and No. 5 Georgia.

When Mendenhall came to Virginia and the 2019 seniors were freshmen, a disappointing loss came against decent FCS teams. With the group, now seniors in Mendenhall’s fourth year, disappointing losses come against top-10 teams in postseason play.

“Those seniors taught us so much,” junior receiver Terrell Jana said. “I learned so much from those guys. What they’ve set and the kind of culture they’ve set has been steadfast. It’s the foundation of what we’ve done to get here.”