Last October, Nick Zimmerman was on the losing side of the game between Florida and Mississippi State. Nearly a year later, he has returned to Starkville and though he didn’t log a win, he came away with a better result Friday – this time in orange and blue.
The Gators played their second consecutive game on the road against the Bulldogs as conference play kicked into full gear. Despite trailing for most of the game, Florida (4-3-2, 0-1-1) took advantage of opportunities in the box to crawl back and log a 2-2 draw – its second draw of the season.
The first half proved to be a physical one, with both teams putting a lot of focus on defense. Mississippi State (7-1-1, 1-0-1) logged five fouls, while Florida logged three. MSU also logged a yellow card early in the match.
The matchup was charged, serving as a bittersweet homecoming for Zimmerman and seven former Mississippi State players. Zimmerman was in Starkville for several years, serving as assistant coach and then head coach for one season before taking the Florida job, something the loud home crowd seemingly did not forget.
With the support of a full stadium behind them, the Bulldogs were the first ones to get on the board. Ten minutes into the game, MSU midfielder Kara Harris shot from outside of the box, hitting the crossbar. Senior forward and team captain Hailey Johnson capitalized on the rebound, heading it in to score her fifth goal of the season.
One of Mississippi State’s advantages this season has been its ability to hold its opponents to a low number of shots each game – something Florida struggled with in the first 45 minutes.
“It’s what they do,” Zimmerman said at halftime. “They cause problems.”
Despite that, Florida threw Mississippi State off several times Friday night, logging eight shots in just the first half. Mississippi State was also used to holding other teams to an average of two corner kicks per game – an amount Florida surpassed with eight total corners.
The Gators kept the Bulldogs at bay for the rest of the half, really working defense to hold the Bulldogs to only two shots on goal, wrapping up the first half 1-0. Going into the second half, Zimmerman told SEC Network Florida’s priorities were to be more patient when creating chances and to capitalize on transitions.
Right off the bat, it was clear that the Gators were focused on creating opportunities in the box, desperate for a breakthrough. Luckily for the Gators, the Bulldogs made a serious mistake in the 59th minute, with Harris logging a handball. Florida was awarded a penalty kick and junior defender Skye Barnes sank it into the bottom right of the net to score her first goal of the season.
However, the Gators were not able to maintain control of the game, conceding a goal off a Bulldogs free kick just four minutes later. Sophomore defender Eden Nicholson had the honors.
With less than 15 minutes left, the Gators regained some momentum, bringing the score to a 2-2 draw. Senior forward and Mississippi State transfer Kyra Taylor scored her fifth goal of the season off a corner kick at her former stomping grounds. Freshman midfielder Iori Watanabe, who has been a steady presence among Florida’s starters, claimed the assist.
Florida tried to create several opportunities in the last ten minutes, looking to take the lead. Most notably, sophomore midfielder Adia Symmonds pulled out an on-target shot from outside the box with just under 20 seconds left, but MSU goalkeeper Jenny Harrison pulled through with a big save to wrap up the game.
Florida logged 15 total shots with 6 shots on goal – well below its average of nine shots on goal per game.
With the tie, Florida extends its winless streak in away games. The Gators also look to win their first SEC matchup and will have a chance to do so when they return to Gainesville to play Texas on Thursday. The match against the Longhorns is set to kickoff at Donald R. Dizney Stadium at 6 p.m.
