Mississippi State 3, South Alabama 0 MSU Soccer Field, Starkville, MS. August 12, 2026 Kevin O'Brien's tenure as Mississippi State head coach could not have gotten off to a faster start, as the Bulldogs opened the 2026 season with a 3 to 0 win over South Alabama behind a goal just four minutes and 46 seconds into the match. The opener belonged to freshman Kati Anne Shepherd, a Birmingham native who graduated high school a year early to join the Bulldogs. She caught South Alabama off balance on an early fast break and buried a hard right-footed shot into the net to give Mississippi State the lead before the crowd could even settle in. From there, the Bulldogs took over completely, pressuring South Alabama with 14 shots and seven corner kicks in the first half alone, with Shepherd contributing four of those attempts and sophomore Laila Murillo adding three more chances of her own. Mississippi State kept the pressure on in the second half and doubled its lead with 11:11 remaining when ...