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20 CAVALIER CORNER "Man, that's my big brother right there," he said of Harris. "I looked up to him and he just kind of welcomed me like family. So we've been growing real close over the years and he can come to me with anything. I feel like I can go to him with anything. … He was in that po- sition I play now and I was kind of looking up to him and seeing the way things were done. "His preparation's changed. That is the biggest difference I've noticed. He's com- ing to me, asking me what I see; I'm asking him what he sees, and we're kind of feeding off each other. I just notice how much he's more seriously he's taken his preparation, especially this year." It's that sort of preparation that fuels not only Harris' reemergence but also Hall's al- ready stellar career. And it's something that Mendenhall views as very rare. "Again, in my entire [career] being an assis- tant coach and a head coach," he said, "I can't think of more than four that are equal to the in- vestment he's making in his preparation." After winning just two games in 2016, Vir‑ ginia football is now preparing for its second bowl trip in as many years, something the Wahoos haven't done since 2004‑05. The 7‑5 (4‑4 ACC) regular season was an‑ other step in the right direction for Bronco Mendenhall and his charges, which in‑ cluded three players — fourth‑year wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, third‑year cor‑ nerback Bryce Hall and fourth‑year safety Juan Thornhill — who were tabbed first‑ team All‑ACC. Zaccheaus, who set the UVA career record for receptions, is second in the ACC with 958 receiving yards heading into the Dec. 1 weekend. He's also caught a pass in 41 straight games dating back to Nov. 7, 2015. Hall, meanwhile, leads the nation in passes defended (22) and is the first UVA cornerback to make the All‑ACC first team in seven years. Thornhill leads the team with 92 tackles and has five interceptions on the season, which ranks third in the league and fourth nationally. But it's been the play of former Arizona State transfer quarterback Bryce Perkins that has been the difference for UVA and is a huge reason why the Hoos head into their bowl game with seven wins. The junior from Chandler, Ariz., has accounted for a school‑ record 3,314 yards of total offense, which this year ranks second best in the league and 18th nationally. He has also accounted for 31 touchdowns (22 passing and nine rushing), which is good enough for No. 1 on UVA's single‑season TD list as well. Perkins ranks No. 1 in the ACC and 16th nationally with 188 points re‑ sponsible for. The Cavaliers opened the season with a comfortable 42‑13 win over Richmond be‑ fore being impacted by weather the next two weeks. They lost a tough one during a monsoon at Indiana in week two and then saw their week three home game against Ohio moved to Nashville, Tenn., due to potential impact from Hurricane Florence. UVA won that one easily before wrapping up their ACC opener against Louisville with a 27‑3 triumph. A loss the following week at NC State was followed with a three‑game winning streak that gave UVA bowl eligibility, and it came in an October string of dominance when the Hoos never trailed. After a 23‑13 loss to Pitt that all but knocked UVA out of the run‑ ning for the Coastal Division title, the Hoos rebounded with a 45‑24 win over Liberty before overtime losses at Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. That UVA was able to have this sort of sea‑ son, with a chance at eight wins on the ho‑ rizon in the bowl, is even more remarkable given the injuries the Cavaliers sustained. They lost third‑year defensive end Richard Burney early in the year, then lost second‑ year defensive lineman Mandy Alonso dur‑ ing the Pitt loss, while also going without third‑year inside linebacker Jordan Mack for five games due to a broken collarbone. It all sets up well for UVA going forward. After its bowl game, the Hoos will lose Zaccheaus, Thornhill and nose tackle Eli Hanback, but Mendenhall figures to return not just Perkins but a host of playmakers in 2019 to go with one of the best recruiting classes the school has signed in nearly a decade. — Brad Franklin THE CAVALIERS ARE BOWL BOUND AGAIN Bryce Perkins set UVA records for total offense (3,314 yards) and touchdowns accounted for (31). PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA Hall is UVA's first All-ACC first-team cornerback since Chase Minnifield in 2011. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA