Soccer Plays Third Ranked Opponent of the Year at No. 19/14 Tennessee

by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off one of the biggest wins in program history, Mississippi State's soccer team will face No. 19/14 Tennessee on the road on Sunday afternoon. The nationally-televised match will air on the SEC Network at 2 p.m. CT.

Tennessee won all of its non-conference matches and joined the Bulldogs as one of four SEC teams to do so. The Volunteers opened conference play with a loss to South Carolina, which MSU defeated on Thursday in front of a school-record crowd of 1,402.

"Tennessee is an excellent team," head coach Tom Anagnost said. "They have great coaches and outstanding players there. We must be at our best."

State has not beaten Tennessee since Sept. 24, 2006. The teams did not play each other last season, and the Volunteers have won eight of the last nine meetings.

The Bulldog defense has held opponents to just 8.6 shots per game and allowed only six goals this season, one of which came off a penalty kick. Offensively, MSU is third in the SEC in goals per game at 2.78.

State is in the midst of a stretch of three straight games against ranked opponents, a streak the program has never encountered before. A win would mark the first time the Bulldogs have ever defeated ranked opponents in consecutive matches and the first time that MSU has won back-to-back conference games since 2004.

More importantly, a Bulldog win would assure that the team finishes the regular season above .500, which would mark just the second time in school history that MSU has turned in a winning record in consecutive seasons (1996-97). A win or a tie would give State its best 10-game start in school history.

State returns home next week for one match, hosting Florida on Friday, Sept. 28. Kickoff against the Gators is set for 7 p.m. CT with the match broadcast on SEC Network+.

For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Soccer Plays Third Ranked Opponent of the Year at No. 19/14 Tennessee

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