Mississippi State Soccer Looks to Extend Streak at Kentucky

Mississippi State’s soccer team will visit Kentucky on Sunday for a noon kickoff, with the game broadcast on SEC Network+. The Bulldogs enter the match unbeaten in SEC play, allowing just one goal per game in conference matches, according to sources.

The Wildcats have scored more than five goals in four games this season but were shut out by South Carolina on Thursday night. Kentucky ranks seventh nationally in scoring offense, with Kyla Dawn leading the team with nine goals and a .750 shot-on-goal percentage, sources said.

Mississippi State’s defense has been a strength, holding No. 9/6 Tennessee to just one shot on goal in its most recent game. The Bulldogs have also posted the third top-10 shutout in program history and are third in the SEC in shots allowed per game, at 6.6.

Head coach Kevin O’Brien’s squad has been efficient offensively, with Laila Murillo ranking third in SEC shots per game (4.00) and leading the team with five goals. The Bulldogs have also used the fewest players in SEC matches, with only 16 field players seeing game time.

Mississippi State has won four straight against Kentucky, its second-longest active streak against an SEC opponent, and hasn’t lost in Lexington since 2014. The team has improved significantly in recent years, winning 16 of its last 23 SEC contests after just 60 victories in the league over 29 seasons prior to 2024.

Next up, the Bulldogs will host No. 17/21 South Carolina on Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast on ESPNU, officials said.

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