In late September, the soccer Bulldogs scaled the national rankings to their highest spot in program history at No. 9. But it was simply the next step in what has become an even more illustrious stretch.
Mississippi State (13-1-0, 7-0-0) has rocketed to No. 3 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll amid a 10-game winning streak – the longest ever for the program. The run includes wins over then-No. 11 Texas and No. 1 Arkansas, along with a 2-0 win over rival Ole Miss in Oxford.
“We have humble players with great character. We’ve got great leadership in the locker room,” head coach James Armstrong said before the win against Ole Miss. “Nobody thinks, ‘Oh, we’ve been there, and we’ve done it, and we’ve made it.’ We’ve got a clear mission statement that we want to achieve this year. There’s still a lot of really good teams we’ve got to play.”
Armstrong’s side will aim to lean on stalwart defense, led by veteran goalkeeper Maddy Anderson who tops both the SEC and NCAA for goals-against-average (0.219) and ranks third nationally in total shutouts (12).
On the attacking side, the Bulldogs have been just as good. The offensive depth is shown on the stat sheet with 13 total players finding the back of the net in 2024, led by junior midfielder Ally Perry’s eight goals which include four game-winners.
With less than two weeks to go before postseason play begins with the SEC Tournament in Pensacola on November 3, national championship buzz is rising across the country – with many eyes fixed on Mississippi State. Armstrong says a run at a national title has been his team’s objective since the season started.
“We’ve just got to block out the noise,” Armstrong said. “We try and keep everything in our inner circle. We talk about never getting too high or getting too low and just focusing on improving day in and day out. Come with your best effort and attitude. If everybody does that, we’ll be in a good spot. We’ve had a good season and not taking anything away from that. But if we don’t take care of business… what’s it all for?”
Next up for the maroon and white is the final home match of the year against Kentucky (10-2-4, 2-2-4 SEC), where they will likely play in front of their fourth straight record crowd in Starkville.
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