Bulldog Roundup: Mississippi State set to open 2025 season vs. UT Martin

Mississippi State soccer is set to begin its regular season SEC title today when it kicks off its season-opening game against UT Martin.

"I think we're all excited," first-year coach Nick Zimmerman said. "Obviously, to be in front of the best fans in the country but also just to go out and compete. It's another opportunity for us to grow and continue this journey together. I think we've had a good week of training, but it's a group that believes and that I'm really, really proud of because they've been really intentional with this preseason."

The Bulldogs begin the season with less than 25 percent of its roster on last year’s team that won the program’s first SEC Regular Season Championship and was undefeated in SEC games. They don’t return a single goalkeeper, either.

Mississippi State, however, does return more than half of its goal-scoring production last year and the Bulldogs’ transfer portal additions scored 17 goals last season.

Earlier this week, Mississippi State saw six players named to the SEC Preseason Watch List and two were included in TopDrawerSoccer’s national Preseason Best XI.

UT Martin has some dangerous players, too. Alli Buchmann scored her team’s only goal in an exhibition match against No. 6 Arkansas last week and three others – Unni Wolf, Peyton Cook and Caroline Moore – combined for 14 goals last season.

Mississippi State has never lost to the Skyhawks, going 4-0 in the series history. The last meeting was in the 2019 season that the Bulldogs won 3-0.

After today’s game against UT Martin, the Bulldogs will have a week off until its next game, August 21 against Jacksonville State in Starkville. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on SECN+.

Yesterday’s Results

No games played.

Today’s Schedule

Soccer: UT Martin at No. 20 Mississippi State, 6:30 p.m., SECN+

Did You Notice?

• Mississippi State Athletics has announced two significant additions to its executive leadership team, further strengthening the department's progressive approach to the new era of college athletics which includes strategic financial modeling, roster and cap management, NIL advancement and student-athlete talent acquisition. Read more here.

Countdown until Mississippi State’s Season Opener

16 days

Daily Dose Of Mike Leach

I think they need to expand the playoff system. I think the minimum should be 16 teams, but they could easily go with more than that... in other words, I want to see more football. Everybody from rec league softball on down can figure out how to put together a tournament and yet Division I can't.Mike Leach

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