“I liked our conditioning, I liked our resilience, I liked our toughness, I liked our mindset,” Mendenhall said. “The game was a completely different game than a year ago, and they’re not comparable.”

Despite starting the game 1-for-8, Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong developed into a rhythm. He finished the game completing 24 of his 43 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns. He also tossed a pair of interceptions.

On the ground, Armstrong ran hard. The quarterback carried the ball 22 times for 89 yards, showing a willingness to rush the ball to pick up first downs for the Wahoos.

“I knew coming into the game, just don’t be afraid to tuck and run it,” Armstrong said. “I was ready mindset wise to go do that.”

In just his second collegiate start, Armstrong went into Death Valley and helped guide an offensive attack to more than 400 yards. Since the start of last season, the only other quarterbacks to help an offense surpass 400 total yards against Clemson are Justin Fields of Ohio State and 2020 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, who played collegiately at LSU.

“He did amazing,” Mendenhall said. “Brennan is tough mentally and physically. The stage wasn’t too big, the team wasn’t too good. I was really pleased with his mindset, his execution, his leadership. He did a really nice job.”