Seniors Corey Peters and Zipp Duncan sat in their chairs with blank stares. UK’s captains were still recovering from a bitter 21-13 loss to the Clemson Tigers in their final game with the program, but their minds were likely on another loss the program could suffer in the coming days.

UK head coach Rich Brooks announced he will likely retire after this season .

“I have told my team that, 80 percent, I’m probably not coming back,” Brooks said. “I’m going to think about it. I’ve got my family coming home with me, we’re going to talk about it and I’ll decide in probably four to five days.”

Brooks said a lot would factor into his decision, and he wouldn’t elaborate on what could affect his decision to return or retire.

The loss ended a three-game bowl winning streak for the Cats (7-6, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) and a school record 18-game nonconference winning streak.

“It’s one thing for me to go out on this note and the senior class, but finding out this is possibly the last game for him makes it hurt that much worse,” Peters said. “You want to get the win for him especially, knowing that it could be possibly his last game. That’s when it really hit me that it’s over. It kind of made me regret a lot of things.”

UK jumped out to an early 7-0 lead but trailed at halftime after giving, and never recovered. The Cats would only muster a field goal in the second half despite good field position on multiple drives, and Clemson was able to run the clock out in the closing seconds as UK turned the ball over on downs while driving in an attempt to tie the game.

Clemson’s offense was able to break several big plays as UK’s offense chipped its way down the field. Clemson’s first two touchdown drives covered a combined 152 yards on just nine plays. Senior tailback C.J. Spiller’s eight-yard run with 10:14 left in the fourth quarter gave the Tigers their final margin of victory and put UK in too deep a hole to recover.

“The first half, the difference to me was us giving up some big plays and just not converting when we got across midfield,” Brooks said.

The Cats did get good news after the game when junior tailback Derrick Locke said he would definitely return for his senior season. Locke had considered leaving for the NFL but decided to return to improve his stock in his senior season. Locke finished the game 10th all time in career rushing yards at UK.

Brooks, however, was clear he was not 100 percent sure about his future. He began thinking about it in the week leading up to the bowl game, but wanted to get away from everything for a while before deciding whether turning the team over to head coach of the offense Joker Phillips.

“I just feel like maybe it’s time,” Brooks said.

Freshman quarterback Morgan Newton stalled with the rest of the offense in the second half, throwing for just 36 yards after the break. He finished with 98 passing yards while completing 13 of 23 passes. He did rush for 37 yards. Locke carried for 64 yards and also added 30 receiving yards. Spiller paced Clemson with 172 all-purpose yards.

The loss bookends UK’s four-game bowl streak under Brooks that began in 2006 with a 28-20 win over the Tigers in the Music City Bowl. Brooks’ all-time record at UK stands at 39-47, though his players said his biggest impact didn’t come in football terms.

“For me personally, five years ago he sold us on a dream and coming in here and working hard and turning this program around,” Duncan said. “For me, I just want to thank him for the opportunity. I feel like he taught us a lot of traits that are going to help us be successful in life, not just on the football field. Things like being a man and raising a family … I’m proud to have been a part of that and been under him for five years.”

BARNHART TO GIVE BROOKS TIME

Athletic director Mitch Barnhart said he will allow Brooks the time to contemplate his decision without pressuring him for an answer.

“I respect him so much,” Barnhart said. “He took this job when no one wanted to take it on and he’s done a lot for it. To that end, he deserves the opportunity to have a chance to do what he wants to do.”

Barnhart hired Brooks before the 2004 season, putting him in charge of a program racked with the loss of scholarships and placed on NCAA probation.

“He gave a great foundation and stability to a program that needed it,” Barnhart said. “He brought it from a position of the absolute basement, I would say. I don’t know what you call it when you’re 20 scholarships down and you’re on probation and you don’t have a lot of tradition or winning going on. He brought it from that spot and gave it life again and gave fans hope again. Gave us four bowl games in a row. Beat people we haven’t beat in places we haven’t beaten them.”

Barnhart and Brooks have talked periodically about his future at UK, but Barnhart said it will be up to Brooks to decide when to end his tenure at UK. If he chooses to retire, UK head coach of the offense Joker Phillips will inherit the program.

“This is Rich’s call,” Barnhart said. “It’s his call.”