HUNTINGTON - From the looks of it, Western Kentucky felt a little shortchanged after blasting Marshall 60-6 Saturday night.
Really, it took the Hilltoppers 14 seconds to clinch a spot in the Conference USA championship game. They needed to sharpen themselves up for a rematch with Louisiana Tech, and may have succeeded.
But they didn't get much resistance from the home team.
Ask running back Anthony Wales, who told Bowling Green-area media something I'm not sure I've heard about a Thundering Herd team.
"The fire here, it wasn't like how it was last time we were here," Wales said. "To me, it kind of seemed like they already gave up before we even kicked the ball off and then [the opening kickoff return TD] put the icing on the cake."
They already gave up. Slosh those four words around in your head, Herd fans.
Wales has the frame of reference here, as he is a fifth-year senior who has experienced all three games in this Conference USA rivalry. Even as he ran for 131 yards in last year's game in a 49-28 win, the Herd didn't roll over.
He wasn't the only one to make such an observation. My Twitter followers watching on TV told of the ESPNU color analyst questioning the Herd's effort.
The analyst? John Gregory, who continued the distinguished line of Herd quarterbacks in early 1986 and all of 1988. He knows what a dialed-in Herd team looks like.
With maybe 7,000 on hand, the Herd looked like the Buffalo Bulls chasing the Herd of Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich. But the Bulls were talent-deprived and had no business playing Division I-A football; today's Herd was once thought to be among the league's best.
I'm a little surprised the Hilltoppers' longest play from scrimmage was 30 yards, but they had 18 double-digit gains out of 61 official snaps. They averaged 7.6 yards per play to the Herd's 3.1.
And I'm trying to understand Kylen Towner's 93-yard touchdown return that started the massacre. Towner entered the game as the nation's top kickoff returner, and Marshall Amareto Curraj entered with 126 career touchbacks.
And with an injury-riddled kick coverage unit, the Herd kicked to Towner. What the heck was that?
On top of all that, the situation with quarterback Chase Litton is throwing a red flag. Herd coach Doc Holliday said the sophomore developed shoulder problems and by Wednesday could not throw.
I'm not so sure, but I know this: Litton was not in the stadium Saturday. Holliday said as much, and it would be tough to miss the 6-foot-6 Litton if he were on the sidelines.
It seems to me that No. 14 (or 1) would be chatting with Garet Morrell on the sidelines, giving him a pointer or two and some moral support. Many times, Morrell was all alone.
Can you picture an injured Leftwich taking his crutches and deserting Stan Hill in the Herd's famous 2002 win over Ben Roethlisberger and the Miami RedHawks? I can't. Veteran QBs are a valuable resource.
I hate to delve too far into rumors, but Litton's absence triggers speculation over his status with the program. Almost has to.
Even if there's nothing to that, he will remain under the microscope, and he will face an spirited competition for the top job. Dual threat Xavier Gaines, a redshirting project, will take center stage in the spring, and you may see a junior-college competitor to be named.
I plan to forgo the usual "which positions are the most up in the air?" question, because nobody's job is safe. Between overestimated talent, a possible lack of development and a plethora of injuries and a few defections, the two-deep is a mess.
During the season, snapper Zach Wood left. Versatile backup lineman Cody Collins, ditto. Tomell One, the promising defensive tackle who was named team captain, split the next week.
Each player may have his own story, but together they threw another red flag. How much dissension was there in the MU program?
Perhaps the injuries were too much, and that's all. For instance, when you lose three-fifths of your season-starting offensive line, that's usually not a good sign. Those who were left didn't run-block or pass-protect terribly well - and you can't throw downfield if your QB is going to pay for it every play.
It will be interesting to see which coaches depart, voluntarily or otherwise. Experience tells me Holliday has made some decisions, and I am pretty much convinced there will be a few separations this week.
Whatever the case, I can't help but think the program is in worse shape than it was when Holliday took over after the 2009 bowl game in Detroit. This team hasn't had this bad a two-game finish in more than three decades.
If you're a Herd fan and you're not depressed, you are to be envied.
nnn
If you're wondering about those quarterbacks who lost out to Litton and transferred to the FCS, Michael Birdsong thrived and Gunnar Holcombe didn't.
Birdsong completed 62.4 percent for Tennessee Tech, piling up 2,577 yards and 17 touchdowns, with just seven interceptions. The Golden Eagles went 5-6, however.
Holcombe didn't start at Tennessee-Martin, which finished 7-5 and beat Birdsong's team 44-23. Holcombe played in five games, going 30 of 60 for 357 with one touchdown and five interceptions.
But hey, his team did play at Hawaii.