When the Gophers fell to 5-7 with a 31-21 loss to Wisconsin on Nov. 28, senior cornerbacks Briean Boddy-Calhoun and Eric Murray starting preparing for the NFL.
With the season ostensibly over, Boddy-Calhoun anticipated one-on-one drills with wide receivers before the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Jan. 23. Murray's mind wandered toward suiting up for the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 30.
That's on hold now because Boddy-Calhoun and Murray will wear maroon and gold one more time.
An unprecedented number of bowls (40) and inadequate amount of eligible teams (77 for 80 spots) prompted the NCAA to set Academic Progress Rates as the benchmark, which is why the Gophers (5-7) will play Central Michigan (8-4) in the Quick Lane Bowl on Monday in Detroit.