No. 21 Auburn soccer returns home Sunday, Oct. 18, for its final home match of the year against No. 23 Mississippi State at the Auburn Soccer Complex. It is a ranked SEC meeting with real stakes for both sides, and it lands after Auburn and Mississippi State played to a 1-1 draw in Starkville earlier this year.
That is why the Auburn Schedule search turns up this matchup now: Auburn is closing its home slate, and fans want the details on when and where the final home date lands. The Tigers have controlled this series over time, holding a 19-6-4 edge and staying unbeaten at home against Mississippi State with a 13-0-2 record.
James Armstrong has reason to like what his team has done defensively. Auburn's back line has allowed just four goals all season, the Tigers lead the nation with a 0.286 goals-against average, and they are one of only three teams in the country to have allowed fewer than five goals. Ayana Yapo, meanwhile, gave Auburn a lift Thursday night by matching a career high with five saves in a 1-1 draw against Kentucky, while Gracie Brown scored her third goal of the season.
Mississippi State comes in with its own case to make. The Bulldogs dropped their first SEC match of the season Thursday night, a 2-0 loss to Oklahoma, but they were far from overmatched, outshooting Oklahoma 13-10 and putting six shots on target. Armstrong said Mississippi State has had impressive results at home and on the road, and he pointed to the bigger picture: the Bulldogs still have everything to play for as they try to secure a trip to Pensacola and chase a bye.
That is the wrinkle in a game that otherwise looks like a home-field edge for Auburn. The Tigers have the numbers, the unbeaten home record against Mississippi State and the season-long defensive profile to back them up, but Mississippi State arrives with postseason pressure and enough form to make this more than a ceremonial finale. Sunday will show whether Auburn can finish its home schedule the same way it has protected the rest of its season: by making every chance count and every result difficult to take away.
