Friday, October 2
Starkville
6 p.m.
Mississippi State
vs
#11 South Carolina
Bulldogs Open Three-Match Homestand With No. 11 South Carolina
October 01, 2026 | Soccer
STARKVILLE โ Mississippi State will host No. 11 South Carolina on Friday night in a nationally-televised match on ESPNU at 6 p.m. CT. It is international night as the Bulldogs celebrate a roster that includes representation from five nations and includes six players with national team experience.
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The Bulldogs (7-1-3, 1-0-3 SEC) are beginning a three-match homestand that will see them host a pair of ranked squads. Last week, MSU held then-No. 9 Tennessee to a scoreless draw, and the Bulldogs have now won or tied five of their last six top-10 matches.
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Friday night will be a display of two of the SEC's top defensive units. The Gamecocks' 3.2 expected goals against is the second-lowest in the league through four conference matches, and they are tied for the SEC lead with only one goal allowed. Meanwhile, MSU's expected goals against of 5.4 ranks fifth in the league, and the Bulldogs have allowed just three goals.
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On The Front Foot: The Bulldogs have only trailed for 103:56 this season (10.5 percent of play).
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Bulldog Battles: The Bulldogs lead the league in defensive duels per match (75.38) and defensive duels won per match (44.47). The league average is 57.43 (33.31 won).
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Build A Wall: State is averaging 4.80 blocked shots per SEC game, which is 43.4 percent of opponents' shots. Ashley Tutas and Kara Harris are tied for fourth in the league, blocking 1.46 shots per 90 minutes.
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Short Bench: MSU has used the fewest players in the SEC in conference games with only 16 field players seeing time. All subs combined are responsible for just 8.2 percent of State's field minutes.
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Head Coach: Shelley Smith | Record at SC: 337-146-72 (26th Year) | Career Record: 378-181-74 (30th Year)
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The Bulldogs (7-1-3, 1-0-3 SEC) are beginning a three-match homestand that will see them host a pair of ranked squads. Last week, MSU held then-No. 9 Tennessee to a scoreless draw, and the Bulldogs have now won or tied five of their last six top-10 matches.
ย
Friday night will be a display of two of the SEC's top defensive units. The Gamecocks' 3.2 expected goals against is the second-lowest in the league through four conference matches, and they are tied for the SEC lead with only one goal allowed. Meanwhile, MSU's expected goals against of 5.4 ranks fifth in the league, and the Bulldogs have allowed just three goals.
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Kicking Off
Sisters On The Sidelines: Ashley Tutas will face her younger sister, Ava, for the second time. Ashley has been the home sister in both meetings, but Ava won last year's matchup 2-0 while Ashley was at Oklahoma.ย
On The Front Foot: The Bulldogs have only trailed for 103:56 this season (10.5 percent of play).
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Bulldog Battles: The Bulldogs lead the league in defensive duels per match (75.38) and defensive duels won per match (44.47). The league average is 57.43 (33.31 won).
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Build A Wall: State is averaging 4.80 blocked shots per SEC game, which is 43.4 percent of opponents' shots. Ashley Tutas and Kara Harris are tied for fourth in the league, blocking 1.46 shots per 90 minutes.
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Short Bench: MSU has used the fewest players in the SEC in conference games with only 16 field players seeing time. All subs combined are responsible for just 8.2 percent of State's field minutes.
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About South Carolina (10-1-0, 4-0-0 SEC)
Rankings: IWSOC โ 11 | TopDrawerSoccer โ 11Head Coach: Shelley Smith | Record at SC: 337-146-72 (26th Year) | Career Record: 378-181-74 (30th Year)
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Series History
Overall: 6-14-3 | Current Streak: Lost 1 | Home: 3-5-2 | Away: 3-8-1 | Neutral: 0-1-0 | Last Meeting: Nov. 7, 2024, SC 3-0ย
Notables
South Carolina has posted seven shutouts in 11 matches this season and has won nine straight matches, its longest winning streak since 2017 season and the longest active streak in the country. Reagan Schubach is the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week after the Gamecocks held Kentucky and Missouri to just four shots on goal combined last week. MSU's Ashley Tutas' sister, Ava, is a sophomore at South Carolina and currently leads the team in points (10) and goals (4). Christina Tsaousis has posted three shutouts in four SEC matches and has not allowed a goal in 222:18.ย
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Next Up
The Bulldogs will host Texas A&M on Friday, Oct. 9. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.ย
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Follow the Bulldogs
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow onย X,ย Facebookย andย Instagramย by searching "HailStateSOC."ย
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Players Mentioned
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