Ole Miss opens SEC play Friday night, and there’s no easing into it. Mississippi State is coming to town, the rivalry is new for both coaching staffs, and the Rebels walk in looking like a team that’s starting to figure itself out.
They’ve won three straight since the Memphis loss, all shutouts, and they haven’t allowed a goal in their last 270 minutes. That’s the kind of form you want heading into conference play, especially when your head coach sounds as confident as Todd Shulenberger does.
“You have to be confident right now, right? What do we have, six shutouts in eight games? So, yeah, we’re confident,” Shulenberger said. “I think we defend as a group and press as a group. The defenders have been great. The attackers have been great defensively, and we’ll support our goalkeepers. They’ve done a really good job.”
The numbers back him up. Ole Miss has outscored opponents 11-4, outshot them 120-55 and posted six clean sheets, the most through eight matches since 2017.
Taylor Prigge has been steady in goal with a 6-1-0 record, and the center back pairing of Kolski and Studer hasn’t left the field yet.
Eight different Rebels have scored, which is exactly the kind of balance you want when SEC defenses start tightening up.
But Shulenberger isn’t pretending everything is perfect.
“We’ll keep addressing it in practice and keep pushing ourselves to get better,” he said. “Our plan is to win. That’s what we said from Day 1, and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’ve got a confident group right now that’s looking forward to getting this thing started Friday.”
And then there’s Mississippi State. The Bulldogs opened the season with six straight wins, outscored opponents 17-6 and dominated the shot and corner kick numbers. They finally slipped Sunday in a 3-0 loss to Charlotte, but they still look like a team with plenty of firepower. Hailey Johnson already has four goals and three assists, and Jenny Harrison has been solid in goal.
So yes, it’s a rivalry game. Yes, it’s a big one. But Shulenberger isn’t interested in building it up beyond what it is.
“It’s just another business day for us. No matter who we’re playing, it’ll be a great opportunity,” Shulenberger said. “That’s my first opportunity playing them, and for most of the players and both coaching staffs, it’s their first time in this rivalry, too. It’s just another game for us. It’s an SEC game. That’s what’s big to me. I don’t care who we’re playing. It’s an SEC game, and that starts Friday.”
Ole Miss has momentum. Mississippi State has talent. Both have something to prove. It’s a good way to start the conference slate, and if the Rebels keep defending the way they have, they’ll give themselves a real chance to open SEC play with a statement.
