The end of the regular season draws near as the Virginia football team enjoys its final bye week so Preston Willett is joined by UVA defensive end Mitchell Melton to discuss the season, strides made by the defense, and rivalry games on the Hoos On Podcast.

Preston and Mitchell start by talking through "aggressive sleeping" strategies during the bye week and also test Mitchell's knowledge of his hometown of Silver Spring, Maryland. Then Mitchell explains what has changed for the UVA defense from the beginning of the season to now, how a deep defensive line rotation works, and he makes a case for Kam Robinson as ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Later, Mitchell dives into his journey to Virginia from Ohio State and why he felt so comfortable with the Cavaliers during the Buckeyes' title run. Then Preston and Mitchell talk about rivalry games from his memories of Virginia-Virginia Tech, how he challenged Ohio State coach Ryan Day after losing to Michigan last season, and why the Commonwealth Clash outweighs the ACC Championship race.

You can also follow Preston Willett on Twitter. Make sure to listen here or through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Both the Hoos On Podcast and the Preferred Walk-Ons Podcast are part of TheSabre.com Podcast Network.