FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.-- The Florida defense is preparing for.a new challenge.

The No. 9 Gators will face No. 24 Virginia in the Orange Bowl on Monday, a team that is looking for its second ten-win season in program history.

Like Dan Mullen, Cavalier head coach Bronco Mendenhall took over the reigns of a program that needed help. Kyree Campbell, a Virginia native, has been impressed by the job Mendenhall has done in Charlottesville.

"This is not the same Virginia team than when I was being recruited," said the Florida defensive tackle. "I didn't see the quarterback running like that and all the different eye candy stuff they do. It's a good team. They played in their conference championship, they played against a great team. They are going to play us hard and we are going to play them hard as well."

Jon Greenard is a another Gator very familiar with the Wahoo program. Greenard, who transferred from Louisville to Florida this past year, has faced off against UVA several times in his career - including when Virginia was coached by Mike London.

"They just bought into it," Greenard said about the changes he has seen on film. "You can tell from watching film when guys buy into the program. Things like running to the ball on defense, finishing blocks on the offense line, little things like that- just overall mentality. You watch them they are a different team, they have that confidence in them.

For only the sixth time in program history, the Cavaliers amassed over 5,000 yards of total offense, and it is only the second time in history that Virginia has had back-to-back seasons with 5,000+ yards of total offense. A lot of that success coming on the back of transfer quarterback Bryce Perkins.

"He has carried the ball 100 more times than their tail back," said Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. "That tells you the ability that he has."

"Dude is pretty good," said Campbell.

Perkins is No. 7 in the nation and No. 1 in the ACC with 3,960 yards of total offense this season. He is the first Cavalier to own multiple seasons of over 3,000 yards of total offense.

"He is what makes their offense go round," said linebacker David Reese. "Great player. He makes a lot of plays with his feet."

"He makes it truly a 11-on-11 game which in the run game, that creates an extra gap there," added Grantham. "In the pass game as you match routes and do those kind of things, and you rush lets say four guys - there are actually six rush lanes to field with four rushers, you have to collapse the pocket outside, in. With guy like that, when he is given a seam, he can take that seam and get down he field. You then have separation between he and the defenders. Whenever you have an athlete that can create separation or get in space, he has a chance to make guys miss."

"We can't just zone in on one thing because if a guy can run a ball like that he can hurt you if you're not ready for it," said corner Marco Wilson.

"He is different. He is going to run," added Campbell. "He wants to run and you can't blame him, he is good at it. Why stop something that isn't broken? Thats why we have to break it."

"We just put my pressure on him, make him beat us with arm and not his feet," said Reese. "We trust our DBs in a one-on-one battles."

“As a pass rusher speaking, when you face a guy like that, anything you do he is going to do the opposite," said Greenard. “You can be the guy around the edge and he will go around you, having guys on the d-line that as a whole understands how we want to rush this guy is going to be huge for us. It changes the game a little bit but you can’t change the game too much because you want them to adjust to you and not you adjust to him.”

In order to prepare for Perkns, Mullen and company brought in reinforcements, Anthony Richardson.

"It was nice when we were in Gainesville when Anthony Richardson came in and really didn't know a whole lot on our offense but was able to go be a scout team quarterback for a week," explained the Gators head coach. "To get a guy that could run around and give looks -- you know, the most challenging thing, obviously, when you have a quarterback that's as athletic as Bryce is, is one, the ability to run the ball, that you've got to defend all 11 players, both within the run game, and to be able to stop him.

"A guy like Bryce who you've watched him grow and develop and become a really good passer, even from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, you're seeing him develop and grow as a passer, to be able to hurt you with his arm, now they've created the mismatch that way. And then the scariest one is the plays that he makes after the play has broken down," added Mullen. "You've got to be sound. You've got to be disciplined. You've got to understand he's going to make plays, and you just have to limit the amount that he can make."

Perkins has several targets to throw the ball to when he doesn't decide to hit the ground running. Virginia has a few productive wide receivers. Hasis Dubois, Terrell Jana and Joe Reed have stolen a lot of the headlines this season - with Dubois just needing 21 yards to join the 1,000 yard receiving club.

"Just physical guys," said Wilson. "They are not scared of contact."

"I think when you look at their wide outs, they have size outside. They can catch the 50-50 balls. I think their guys have really strong hands because they make catches in tight quarters and have ways to get the ball. They have a combination of size and they have No. 80 that is a quicker guy that can get open in space."

No. 80 or better known as Billy Kemp, has made an impression on the Gators defenders. Kemp has caught 34 balls for 287 yards.

"Real quick. He is like a Wes Welker type of guy," said Reese. "He is real fast, real quick. They usually get him on the option routes.

"So the combination of size with a little bit of quickness [in the receiver room] and the movements, allow productive players outside when the ball is in a close area, they can make plays," explained Grantham. "And when you watch their passing game, they have averaged over 300 yards per game. I think thats a credit to their ability outside as well the ability of the quarterback."

"I played them every year," said Greenard. "I'm well aware of the receivers No. 8 and No. 2 [Dubois and Reed], they are physical guys to me, and guys I can remember off the top of my head.

"They got some guys. They are a team that you can't take lightly. They are down here for a reason."