Any match in conference play will be difficult, and the result at South Carolina proved the road to the postseason won’t get any easier for Florida. Its second match in conference play, however, will be filled with emotion as Nick Zimmerman and Co. return to Starkville.
While LSU football coach Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss, Mississippi State’s rival, has captured much of the weekend’s attention, the Bulldogs face a similar situation.
Though Zimmerman’s departure from Mississippi State was nowhere near as controversial as Kiffin’s departure from Ole Miss, the Bulldogs (7-1) will welcome their former coach back to Starkville with plenty of familiarity — and a chance to spoil his return.
The journey to Starkville will also be a bittersweet one for seven players on the Gators’ roster. Senior forwards Kyra Taylor and Zoe Main, along with senior defender Hannah Jibril, headline the players who made the move to Gainesville with Zimmerman.
The trio has showcased its veteran leadership, particularly Jibril, who serves as a co-captain and the team’s primary set-piece taker. Taylor and Main have been lethal in attack, with Main scoring a hat trick against Youngstown State and Taylor recording back-to-back braces in Florida’s victories over Coastal Carolina and No. 3 Florida State.
Four other players made the move with Zimmerman: defender Ella Petersen and midfielders Adia Symmonds, Tatum Borman and Charlotte Grim. Borman has led the group as a consistent starter at defensive midfielder for the Gators and scored Florida’s most recent goal in its 2-1 loss to Wake Forest on Sept. 6.
Throughout nonconference play and the conference opener, one trend has remained consistent for the Gators: an inability to convert in the final third.
A clear example came during the victory over Youngstown State, when the Gators outshot the Penguins 33-3 but found the back of the net just twice.
Another instance came in the conference opener against South Carolina last Thursday, when the Gators outshot the Gamecocks by five but were shut out for the first time this season.
For Florida to get back into the win column, it needs to execute in the final third. That starts in the midfield, presenting an opportunity for Jibril and Borman to control the field and deliver quality passes to the attack.
Last season, Florida hosted No. 12 Mississippi State and pulled off a 2-1 upset victory. All three players who scored in the match are now members of the Gators.
Senior transfer Zoe Main scored Mississippi State’s lone goal, while sophomore midfielder Sophia Sindelear scored Florida’s first goal. Redshirt sophomore Addy Hess later found the back of the net for the game-winning goal.
This year, Mississippi State enjoyed a smooth nonconference slate until its final match. It suffered a stunning 3-0 defeat to Charlotte on Sept. 6, but the Bulldogs bounced back in their first match of Southeastern Conference play with a 4-1 rout of Ole Miss.
Following Zimmerman’s departure, former Lipscomb head coach Kevin O’Brien was named the eighth coach in Bulldogs program history. During his 14-year tenure with the Bison, he was named Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year five times and guided the program to 12 combined ASUN regular-season and tournament championships.
He left Lipscomb as the winningest coach in program history, posting a 155-81-37 career record. His final 12 seasons at the helm saw the program establish itself as a top-tier ASUN program, finishing every campaign with a winning record and positive goal differential.
Headlining their attack, the Bulldogs are led by veteran forward Hailey Johnson. The senior has recorded four goals and three assists for Mississippi State and followed O’Brien from Lipscomb. During her junior season, Johnson was named First Team All-ASUN after scoring a team-high 10 goals.
Complementing Johnson is emerging talent Kati Anne Shephard. The freshman also has four goals and three assists and is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week. She scored the winning goal in the Bulldogs’ first conference match.
Jenny Harrison stands in goal for MSU. She leads the Bulldogs’ goalkeepers in minutes played and has posted a 0.82 goals-against average this season.
Florida’s attack must force shots early and capitalize on its set-piece chances in order to get into the win column in conference play.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at MSU Soccer Field.
Contact Zach Moore at zmoore@alligator.org. Follow him on X @zach_moore27.
Zach is a junior sports journalism student in his third semester at The Alligator. He currently covers soccer for the Fall 2026 season after previously serving as the softball reporter. Zach also has experience as a play-by-play broadcaster in the Florida Collegiate Summer League for the Winter Garden Squeeze. In his free time, Zach enjoys going to the gym and watching sports, especially his favorite teams: the Minnesota Vikings, Arsenal FC, Houston Astros, Orlando Magic and Orlando City SC. A fun fact about Zach is that he is also an avid WWE fan.
