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Marshall's strangest games, No. 4: Tragedy overshadowed UCF's 2005 win over Herd

UCF fans carry a piece of the goal post after defeating Marshall 23-13 on Sept. 24, 2005, ending a 17-game losing streak.

Watching Central Florida’s 0-12 record in 2015 from a distance, memories rushed forth.

What promised to be a compelling rivalry between the Golden Knights and Marshall fell apart in 2003, when UCF basically collapsed. Amid a deluge of academic casualties, suspensions, an arrest and wildly unexpected losses, coach Mike Kruczek was canned a week before the Marshall game that year.

George O’Leary, the man who could have been Notre Dame’s leader, was brought from the NFL to Orlando.