There were no high-fives.

Only low-fives.

Five wins. ... and holding.

Five losses. ... and counting.

A 5-5 record. ... in Year Five.

Forget about 666.

The number that is cursing Marshall football fans everywhere is 555.

And, no, that's not an area code.

Instead, it's the code that signifies Marshall's torturous five-year tumble from its stature as a winning program to its current status as an also-ran.

The bottom line is a 5-5 record in Mark Snyder's fifth year as head coach simply isn't good enough.

Yet, that's where the Herd's football program is stranded after a 27-20 loss to Southern Miss Saturday night before 21,036 disappointed fans at Edwards Stadium.

Is a 5-5 record that doesn't include a single victory over an NCAA FBS opponent with a winning record good enough in Year Five?

No.

Is a 5-5 record that still doesn't include bowl eligibility -- provisional or otherwise -- with only two games remaining good enough in Year Five?

No.

Is a 5-5 record that includes ever dwindling attendance -- Saturday's crowd against a good opponent on a beautiful autumn day was 2,147 fans below Marshall's season average of 23,183 -- good enough in Year Five?

No.

Is a 5-5 record in Year Five good enough after Snyder vowed during the Tulsa post-game press conference last season that Marshall should be the team to beat in Conference USA in 2009?

No.

A 5-5 record in Year Five isn't good enough under any circumstances.

Yet, that's the prickly position Marshall's football program, fans and administration find themselves in, collectively.

The only person who seems to be in denial is Snyder.

"I think we are playing some good football right now," said Snyder, despite consecutive losses to UCF and Southern Miss. "We are just coming up a little short.

"We have played some good teams. I told the kids down there tonight, 'You guys are giving it everything you have to win the game.' So, it makes it a little rough on everyone.

"For me to sit there and say we are not doing this and that well, we are not getting better, we are getting worse. ... I can't sit there and say that.

"I think this team is getting better every week. The competition has been going up every week, too, so I really have no complaints right now."

Well, he's the only one.

Everybody else has plenty of complaints.

And justifiably so.

Except, of course, Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora.

"I thought Marshall played well. ... well enough to win," he said. "We just made one more play than they did."

Sound familiar?

That was the case in Marshall's loss to East Carolina. ... and UCF. ... and in oh so many games during the last five seasons.

Which is part of the problem. Marshall did play well at times against Southern Miss. And the Herd did overcome a lot of adversity with the loss of tight end Cody Slate and running back Darius Marshall.

But Marshall still found a way to lose.

Again.

MU's opponent still made one more play.

Again.

In Year Five that has become the rule, not the exception.

Yet, Snyder remains upbeat.

"There were a lot of positives today," he said. "The mood in the locker room is good. It's almost surreal down there. We know we have a good football team.

"We're just waiting for the mojo to turn."

From where I'm sitting, it already has turned.

It hung a right on Route 555.

Chuck Landon is a sports columnist for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 304-526-2827. E-mail him at clandon@herald-dispatch.com.

National Video