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"During practice, we're always going after it, and if one of us gets the better of the other one, we're going to let them hear about it. That helps us really rise to occasion." "Ross and I both, since we came in, we've had that focus and that determination," Dean said. "We're always going at it. Since day one, we've pushed each other to get better. "It's just great to see him come to where he is now. He's really developed as a mental player. He's always had that focus, and you can just tell by his preparation and the way he's always tak- ing notes, he's always trying to work on the little things. Now, he's a great overall lineman." "Coming in as first-years, our goal was to be good on the scout team, get in the weight room, and just get better," Burbank recalled. "We always stayed after, tried to get some extra one-on-one reps in, and always pushed each other. "We had a 'Freshman Friday' lifting group, and we just wanted to get better and talk a little smack along the way and have fun with it." The start of their time on the field wasn't ex- actly productive as far as the team was concerned. After an 8-5 year when they redshirted, the Cava- liers went 4-8 in 2012 and then 2-10 the following season. Luckily, they had not only each other to lean on but also a number of teammates who were set on getting it right. "When you have those tough times during the season and your record's not what you want it to be, it's hard to come to practice and strap it up and go 100 percent," Burbank said. "But just knowing that if he's down one day, I'm going to pick him up, and if I'm down one day, he's going to do the same for me, that's big. "I really think that has helped, and it's helped the groups as well. That chippiness between the O-line and D-line, it helps us so much." "We've been going at it for four years, and it's really brought the best out of both of us," Dean said. "We know each other's weaknesses, and so we push each other in that way. We have to fix our weaknesses, otherwise it's going to be a long day. That's huge. We've watched plenty of film from each other, and we know what to expect." This past spring, they each reached a milestone when their teammates picked the two of them among their team captains for the 2015 campaign. It's a moment the both will always remember. "It was great and just a testament to all of the hard work we put in," said Dean. "That moment was all about the time we put into this program, and I think our teammates really respected that. Even before then, we had an idea that if even if we weren't captains, as older guys it was going to be our job to lead this team. "We had already gotten together with a couple of guys and talked about what we wanted to do this year to be a better team." "They announced it during the spring game and Coach just told us," Burbank said. "It's a respon- sibility and an honor for the guys to believe in you in that fashion and for them to put that trust in you. "We all communicate daily about how things are going, and things we want to get done. It's been an important connection." Through their first four games, the Wahoos were already having to deal with some adversity. At 1-3 with losses to current top-10 teams UCLA and Notre Dame, it brought to light what a lot of Virginia players had to do to get better. In the trenches, it was a case of iron sharpening iron. And after seeing two of the best teams in the country, the Cavaliers know they have what it takes to improve. "We want to play for an ACC championship," Burbank said. "And we believe that we have the talent and the quality of a team to do that this season. We have a lot of fifth-year guys, a lot of fourth-years — we have that experience. "That's where we set the bar for this season." And then there's the future and the possibility