HUNTINGTON - Throughout the first half of Marshall's homecoming game against Central Florida, I kept hearing the voice of Mel Blanc in my head, narrating the NFL's "Greatest Follies'' collection.

If you missed it, just imagine footballs bouncing off players' helmets and hands, squirting into end zones - and add Blanc's voices of Porky Pig and Yosemite Sam.

It was Looney Tunes.

To Thundering Herd coach Mark Snyder, however, there was nothing funny about Marshall's 30-14 loss to UCF. You could see it in his eyes afterward. You could hear it in his voice.

"For two weeks in a row we've been anemic on offense and special teams,'' Snyder said.

Period. Next question.

Also, by all indications, Marshall fans find no humor in the situation.

Yes, an unexpected loss here or there is, well, expected.

But the bad losses are starting to pile up on what is Year Four of a five-year plan.

A 23-21 clunker against now-3-7 Alabama-Birmingham.

The oh-no-it-was-right-there loss to East Carolina.

Then came Saturday night's downer. On a night when mascot Marco showed off his new tail, Marshall's team dragged. It lost to a Central Florida team it should have defeated.

What also has to stick in the craw is the way Marshall lost Saturday.

A snap through the hands of punter Kase Whitehead.

A muffed punt that set up a UCF touchdown.

The Central Florida punter scrambling for a first down. Twice.

Marshall committing defensive holding on a punt. (Can't remember seeing that one before.)

Perhaps, though, what was most damaging to Snyder's image on the cold, rainy Saturday was Marshall's need for a timeout just eight seconds into the second half. On the first play from scrimmage.

"I think Mark [Cann] keeps forgetting I can call a timeout," Snyder said.

What should be scarier for Herd fans is the game could have been 31-7 at halftime. But only Wall Street has experienced more drops than Central Florida.

I'll say right here I haven't been on Snyder's case as much as some others. But the coach must take blame for much of Saturday's performance.

Especially the lack of enthusiasm.

For some reason UCF played with more determination, despite its 2-7 record at the game's start. At the end of the first quarter, Marshall had zero first downs. It had zero passing yards. It had zero rushing yards.

And the team looked to have zero confidence. It was shocking considering the team sat in Conference USA East's second place, just one game back of East Carolina, at day's beginning.

The drive for a bowl berth should have given MU drive. Instead the Herd wrecked. Again.

That's what's bothersome.

Marshall now sits at 4-6 with games at 7-3 Rice (which had this week off to prepare) and home against nationally ranked Tulsa.

It's not good for Snyder. One would think Marshall would at least qualify for a bowl as it ramps up to "the year'' expected in 2009. It at least should have given that a run with a home win over UCF, right?

"Mark's doing a good job with what he has," O'Leary said, almost in a condescending way. (O'Leary, of course, can be somewhat condescending since he's 4-0 against Snyder.)

Snyder shook his head.

"We bring a lot of problems on ourselves," he said.

And that's what Thundering Herd fans see. Which can translate into trouble if Marshall's athletic department sticks - as is expected - with Snyder.

Here's what I mean:

On Saturday, we were told there were 24,059 hardy souls in Joan C. Edwards Stadium. It was laughable because there's no way that many attended. But the point is, the average home crowd this season is now 25,404.

In the stadium's 18-year history, that ranks 10th. Not exactly what Bob Marcum and company hoped for in Year Four of Snyder. And what Marcum now has to consider is how jazzed his team's fans will be if the coach returns. Will enough season tickets be sold?

Or have there just been too many bloopers?

Reach Mitch Vingle at 348-4827 or mitchvin...@wvgazette.com.