STARKVILLE — A debut for any athlete can be nerve-racking, but for someone who’s been waiting nearly two years for the opportunity to play, those nerves quickly go away.
However, for Mississippi State goalkeeper Mac Titus, her debut came at an unexpected time: the second minute of play in the Bulldogs’ matchup against South Carolina on Oct. 6.
Starting keeper Maddy Anderson collided with several Gamecock players and had to be helped off the field, unable to return.
In stepped Titus, who has taken over the reins in goal since that point for Mississippi State and wants to prove a point that she’s here and ready to go.
“There was that first moment of shock when she first went down, like ‘Oh my goodness, is this really happening?’” Titus said. “You have to cast that aside and start finding a rhythm and confidence as soon as possible so that you can perform.”
Her ‘welcome to college soccer’ moment came within minutes of her debut that day as Claire Griffiths found the top left corner of the net, just out of her reach, the eventual game-winner in a 1-0 scoreline.
Titus, Anderson or any keeper in college soccer wouldn’t have saved that shot, but after it went in, MSU captain Gwen Mummert came over with words of encouragement for the sophomore.
“One of the first people that immediately came up to me was Gwen,” Titus said. “She’s an experienced player. She’s a senior, and honestly, I was really grateful that she came up to me and had a little moment with me, told me to be confident and just do my thing.”
Those words of encouragement were what Titus had been waiting her entire Mississippi State career for, and coming into the program in 2021, she knew of the trials and tribulations that would be ahead of her when it came to the goalkeeper position.
Anderson had been Mississippi State’s starter in net through her first three seasons in Starkville, starting from the jump as a true freshman.
Waiting in the wings was undoubtedly going to be a challenge for Titus when she arrived on campus, but it was a challenge that she was up for and the team and coaching staff backed her through it.
“If you’re a field player, you might go on in different positions,” head coach James Armstrong said. “As a goalkeeper, you know you’re one play away, but the change is probably not going to happen unless something unfortunate happens to the starting goalkeeper.”
“The mental toughness that’s required and the confidence and optimism to go through each game knowing that you don’t want something to happen to the starter, but if something did, you’re ready.”
Being on the bench for most of two fall seasons has allowed her to bond with many of the players on the bench, talk more closely with the coaching staff as they’ve done their thing, and it’s most importantly helped to build more team chemistry.
Something important about this MSU team is the chemistry that’s been built over time — not just on the field but off the field as well.
Injuries have created plenty of change for Mississippi State, but through every setback, there’s been someone in the waiting, including Titus, who has picked up where the other has left off.
“For me, it was really about staying humble and staying committed to the process,” Titus said. “Really just being prepared for that drop of a hat crazy moment … Chemistry on versus off the field has been really important. I feel that the chemistry on the field has gotten much stronger as we’ve been playing these last few games.”
Titus has allowed two goals in three games in net for the Bulldogs, pitching her first collegiate shutout last week in a 1-0 victory over in-state rival Ole Miss, retaining the Magnolia Cup for the third straight year.
However, that win pales in comparison to the test that she has in front of her on Thursday, a matchup against No. 3/1 Alabama.
These are the moments, the matches that Titus has been working toward in practice and in the locker room.
Now, she has the opportunity to prove herself that much more to Mississippi State, Alabama, the rest of the Southeastern Conference and the rest of collegiate soccer.
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