It's hard to imagine how a team with its back to the wall could hit that wall so hard and never really get up.

That was the case for Ole Miss on Saturday. Both Ole Miss and Arkansas entered the game needing to win out to earn a winning record and a bowl, but it was the Razorbacks who played like the game meant something in a 35-3 victory.

"I certainly would take nothing away from Arkansas and their performance," Ole Miss coach David Cutcliffe said. "I thought they played outstanding. But it's difficult to put a finger on why we played so poorly. It seemed to be from the beginning, and some of the same things that have plagued us all year continue to plague us."

Instead of fighting for survival, the Rebels (3-6, 2-4 SEC) came out flat, fell behind 21-0 after the first play of the second quarter and trailed 28-3 at halftime. Instead of battling back in the second half, the Rebels let their hopes for a winning season and a bowl fade away.

"When you're on the road -- we even talked about it -- when you get behind early, you've got to respond. You've got to be a road warrior," Cutcliffe said. "Obviously, we got flatter as the game progressed in the first half, and I felt like we went into shock a little bit."

Copyright (C) 2004 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.