NFL draft prospects opting out of bowl games to avoid injury has become so commonplace in college football that it’s actually surprising when players like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter don’t do so. But Miami quarterback Cam Ward did something on Saturday that took opt-outs to a new level.

Ward played in Miami’s bowl game, throwing three touchdown passes in the first half, setting a new NCAA Division I career record. He then sat through the second half and watched his teammates lose in a heartbreaking 42-41 loss to Iowa State.

Even some NFL personnel evaluators who have no problem with players opting out of bowling altogether may have a problem with what Ward did: playing long enough to pad one’s individual stats and then shutting down in the middle of the game leaving while teammates struggle to finish their season on a winning note will not please some in the NFL who are debating whether to sign Ward.

At the postgame press conference in Miami, Miami coach Mario Cristobal would not say whether he agreed with Ward’s decision.

“All meetings with players and decisions like this were made privately, We keep them private” he said via ESPN. “Therefore, I prefer not to answer any questions regarding this. But I know he did his best there.”

Ward came into the game needing three touchdown passes to reach 156 in his career, which would be one more than the previous record set by Houston’s Case Keenum from 2007 to 2011. Ward caught the third touchdown pass of the game in the second quarter and continued to play until halftime when Miami led 31-28. He played very well in the first half, but NFL teams will undoubtedly have some questions for him about the second half.