Cowbell Corner

How Mississippi State managed to move up in top 25 polls even after a loss

Despite a loss to Arkansas, Mississippi State rises in the Top 25 polls and Ally Perry is named to the Hermann Trophy midseason watch list.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Goal Keeper Sarah Wommack (#1) and Mississippi State Defender Ella Petersen (#22) during the match between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS.
Mississippi State Goal Keeper Sarah Wommack (#1) and Mississippi State Defender Ella Petersen (#22) during the match between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Bulldogs

Is it possible to win by losing?

In our day-to-day lives, sure, but in the world of college sports it’s usually referred to as moral victories.

So, what do we make of Mississippi State’s soccer team moving up higher in both of the major college soccer top 25 rankings?

The Bulldogs beat Ole Miss 2-0, keeping the Magnolia Cup in Starkville for a sixth-straight year, but fell to then-No. 7 Arkansas 4-2 after the Razorbacks mounted a comeback from a 2-0 deficit.

Yet, Mississippi State finds itself one spot higher in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll and the TopDrawerSoccer College Women’s Soccer National Rankings.

The Bulldogs are ranked No. 12 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and No. 11 by TopDrawerSoccer.

Mississippi State Forward Rebeka Vega-Peleka (#8) during the match.
Mississippi State Forward Rebeka Vega-Peleka (#8) during the match between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

As always, there’s always an element of what happened to higher ranked teams that impacts lower ranked teams’ movements up and down the rankings. I didn't start writing the loss version of my "instant reaction" piece until late in the second half.

But Mississippi State played Arkansas tough for a full 90 minutes and had a 2-1 lead at halftime (after leading 2-0 in the first 10 minutes of the match).

That has to count for something and may be part of why the Bulldogs rose in the rankings.

Mississippi State only has one game scheduled this week to change voters’ minds, and that’ll be a road trip to Florida on Friday.

Ally Perry named to midseason trophy watch list

Mississippi State’s Ally Perry was included in the midseason watchlist for women’s college soccer’s highest trophy, the Hermann Trophy.

The award is presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club and is the nation's highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by voting of Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches.

It’s a fitting designation for Perry, who has been a superstar for the Bulldogs. She leads Mississippi State in goals (7), assists (6) and points (20). That’s also the most goals scored by an SEC player this season and she’s averaging an SEC-best 1.67 points per game.

To help Perry’s resume for the award, four of her goals have been game-winners.

A total of 15 players will be named 2025 Hermann Trophy semifinalists on Dec. 2 at the conclusion of NCAA Division I All-American voting. From that list, head coaches will cast votes, and three players will be named finalists. The 2025 recipient will be announced on Jan. 9, 2026, in a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis.

The award is named in honor of the late Robert Hermann, the legendary St. Louis businessman and soccer executive who founded the National Professional Soccer League, the first pro soccer league in the United States, which later became the North American Soccer League. He was inducted in the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.

Here are the complete top 25 soccer rankings:

United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll

1. Virginia 10-0-1
2. Notre Dame 10-0-1
3. Stanford 9-1-1
4. Tennessee 11-1-1
5. Florida State 8-0-2
6. Arkansas 7-2-3
7. Iowa 8-2-3
8. Memphis 10-0-2
9. UCLA 8-3-1
10. South Carolina 9-1-4
11. Texas Tech 10-1-1
12. Mississippi State 9-2-1
13. Wake Forest 9-2-2
T14. Duke 7-3-1
T14. Baylor 9-1-2
16. Georgetown 9-2-2
17. TCU 10-2-0
18. Michigan State 6-2-5
19. North Carolina 9-4-0
20. Xavier 9-2-2
21. Vanderbilt 9-3-1
T22. Ohio State 5-1-6
T22. Georgia 7-3-4
24. Colorado 9-2-2
25. West Virginia 8-2-2

Also receiving votes: Wisconsin (14), Louisville (10), Alabama (7), Cal State Fullerton (4), Oklahoma (2), LSU (2)

TopDrawerSoccer College Women’s Soccer National Rankings

  1. Notre Dame 10-0-1
  2. Virginia 10-0-1
  3. Tennessee 11-1-1
  4. Stanford 9-1-1
  5. Florida State 8-0-2
  6. Arkansas 7-2-3
  7. UCLA 8-3-1
  8. Memphis 10-0-2
  9. Texas Tech 10-1-1
  10. Mississippi State 9-2-1
  11. Louisville 10-3-0
  12. Baylor 9-1-2
  13. Colorado 9-2-2
  14. Duke 7-3-1
  15. TCU 10-2-0
  16. Georgetown 9-2-2
  17. North Carolina 9-4-0
  18. Washington 7-1-5
  19. South Carolina 9-1-4
  20. Wake Forest 9-2-2
  21. Cal State Fullerton 10-0-2
  22. St. Mary’s (CA) 7-1-2
  23. Xavier 9-2-2
  24. Iowa 8-2-3
  25. Ohio State 5-1-6

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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