Thursday, September 24
Knoxville, Tenn.
7 p.m.
Mississippi State
0
at
0
#9 Tennessee
Photo by: Jackson Reynolds
Stingy Defense Sees State Shutout No. 9 Tennessee
September 24, 2026 | Soccer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. โ A total team effort gave Mississippi State a critical draw on the road at No. 9 Tennessee on Thursday night as the Bulldogs shut out the Lady Vols for the first time since 2015.
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MSU has now won or tied five of its last six matches against top-10 teams, and the Bulldogs (7-1-2, 1-0-2 SEC) have claimed five points in their first three matches of conference play to make Kevin O'Brien just the second MSU head coach to go unbeaten through his first three SEC games.
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State dominated the first half, outshooting Tennessee, 11-0. It marked just the third time in the last 26 years that the Lady Vols had been held without a shot in a half.
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"Iย think the girls executed the tactical game plan we had for them to a T, and they limited a phenomenal soccer team to sparing opportunities," O'Brien said. "You know, first half to have a team like that not get a shot off against you was amazing, and then after 90, apart from a couple crosses where she was challenged, Jenny [Harrison] did not have to make a significant save in the game, which, again, is a testament to how well the team defended as a group, how organized we were, compact, how well we worked together. As a coaching staff, we are all just incredibly proud of the girls and excited, you know, because every result like this breeds more confidence."
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The Bulldog defense was impressive. Tennessee finished the night with just six shots, its fewest of the season for a team that had scored first in every match it had played and entered the night as a top-five scoring offense in the SEC. Jenny Harrison was not asked to make a save until the 82nd minute as she claimed her third shutout of the year.
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MSU's best chances in the first 45 minutes came from a 27th minute shot from Laila Murillo that was touched over the crossbar. The Bulldogs fired off three more shots in the next three minutes alone and earned multiple dangerous free kicks in the first half. Kara Harris also had a shot on target in the period.
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In the 77th minute, Tennessee's Nyla Blue was shown a red card for denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity when she took down Murillo to stop a breakaway for Murillo and Hailey Johnson 40 yards from the net. Murillo tested the keeper again with just under five minutes to play, but the Bulldogs managed only three shots after the sending off.
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Murillo, Harris and Chiara Tappe led State with three shots each. Murillo put two on frame, and Harris had one. Only three Bulldogs came of the bench as seven players saw the field for the full 90 minutes.
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MSU remains on the road on Sunday as the Bulldogs head to Kentucky for a noon CT kickoff on SEC Network+.
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For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow onย X,ย Facebookย andย Instagramย by searching "HailStateSOC."
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MSU has now won or tied five of its last six matches against top-10 teams, and the Bulldogs (7-1-2, 1-0-2 SEC) have claimed five points in their first three matches of conference play to make Kevin O'Brien just the second MSU head coach to go unbeaten through his first three SEC games.
ย
State dominated the first half, outshooting Tennessee, 11-0. It marked just the third time in the last 26 years that the Lady Vols had been held without a shot in a half.
ย
"Iย think the girls executed the tactical game plan we had for them to a T, and they limited a phenomenal soccer team to sparing opportunities," O'Brien said. "You know, first half to have a team like that not get a shot off against you was amazing, and then after 90, apart from a couple crosses where she was challenged, Jenny [Harrison] did not have to make a significant save in the game, which, again, is a testament to how well the team defended as a group, how organized we were, compact, how well we worked together. As a coaching staff, we are all just incredibly proud of the girls and excited, you know, because every result like this breeds more confidence."
ย
The Bulldog defense was impressive. Tennessee finished the night with just six shots, its fewest of the season for a team that had scored first in every match it had played and entered the night as a top-five scoring offense in the SEC. Jenny Harrison was not asked to make a save until the 82nd minute as she claimed her third shutout of the year.
ย
MSU's best chances in the first 45 minutes came from a 27th minute shot from Laila Murillo that was touched over the crossbar. The Bulldogs fired off three more shots in the next three minutes alone and earned multiple dangerous free kicks in the first half. Kara Harris also had a shot on target in the period.
ย
In the 77th minute, Tennessee's Nyla Blue was shown a red card for denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity when she took down Murillo to stop a breakaway for Murillo and Hailey Johnson 40 yards from the net. Murillo tested the keeper again with just under five minutes to play, but the Bulldogs managed only three shots after the sending off.
ย
Murillo, Harris and Chiara Tappe led State with three shots each. Murillo put two on frame, and Harris had one. Only three Bulldogs came of the bench as seven players saw the field for the full 90 minutes.
ย
MSU remains on the road on Sunday as the Bulldogs head to Kentucky for a noon CT kickoff on SEC Network+.
ย
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow onย X,ย Facebookย andย Instagramย by searching "HailStateSOC."
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Players Mentioned
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/ Soccer
GK
/ Soccer
F
/ Soccer
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