Everything Jeff Lebby said in first game week press conference

Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby appeared to be in good spirits as the first game week of the season started Monday morning.

Lebby, as well as four players, spoke with reporters after the Bulldogs' morning practice. The Bulldogs are in full "prepare for Southern Miss-mode" with the season opening game in Hattiesburg coming up in five days.

In addition to Lebby speaking with reporters, the first official depth chart for Mississippi State has been released. You can see it here. Below, you'll find everything Lebby said Monday:

In your entire coaching career, have you ever gone into week one saying, "Yep, we've done enough. We're ready. This is as close as we can get."

I haven’t. I can’t even imagine what that would feel like. There’s plenty of work to be done. Our guys are really excited about the opportunity at hand. We’ve got a great challenge in front of us. An in-state opponent that looks completely different from a personnel standpoint than they did a year ago. So, we’re excited about the opportunity.

Coach, looking at the depth chart, the offensive line construction is a little interesting. Albert at left and then Zack Owens, a guy who just got here, possibly starting at right guard. Take us through your thoughts about the offensive line.

We’ve talked about those five to eight guys being able to play winning football for us. You’re going to see some guys at different positions. We’ve got multiple players who will move around in week one as we try to get to where we have eight guys who can all go play winning football. They’ve worked hard, done some really good things, and we’re going to need to rotate at least eight through the season to do what we want to do.

Coach, have you become very accustomed to watching 2024 Marshall football? How confident do you feel about what Southern Miss is going to look like on Saturday?

I think there are some unknowns. From a personnel standpoint, there are differences, but I expect to see six or seven defensive starters for Southern Miss coming from Marshall. You’d think there’d be some carryover. But people study themselves constantly. Week one is always a little bit up in the air. Their offensive coordinator didn’t call plays last year, so you have to go back a couple of years to see that tape. I understand his identity and what he wants to do, but until you get out there and see it, there’s some unknown.

Coach, starting your second season, how different is this for you compared to going into last year, your first year?

There are a lot of differences. Just the understanding of how we’re going to do things—how we travel, what the hotel routine looks like, the pregame meal routine, our clap session—all the routines that help us get ready for Saturday. All those things are now in year two, and that’s a big help. It’s a great benefit for our entire staff and the players who have returned. That part has been good.

It’s not too often you get a power conference school going on the road to play an in-state opponent. What are your thoughts on playing this game against Southern Miss and what it means for the state?

We’re excited about the opportunity, and I think people in our state are too. Being able to play an in-state opponent on the road is special. For our guys, it’s about focusing on the details, making the most of every day, and understanding we’ve got one opportunity Saturday morning at 11 to go play really well.

When you’re facing a team with a new roster and new coach, do you expect trick plays or surprises? How conscious do you have to be of that?

You try not to chase ghosts, but there are unknowns. You try to prepare for everything without knowing exactly what it’s going to look like on the other side of the ball. The best way to handle that is to keep things simple on both sides so guys can adjust and play fast no matter what happens.

Coach, you’ve talked about the talent you’ve added at receiver and running back. As a play-caller, is that daunting or fun when making a call sheet for Saturday?

It’s absolutely fun. My job offensively is to make sure the right people are touching the football. We’ve got the ability to spread it around to a lot of different guys, and we need to get them involved early and often. That’s probably the most fun part.

How’s the team doing health and injury-wise going into week one?

Knock on wood, we’re in a pretty good spot right now. We’ve gotten a couple guys back as of this morning, and that’s been really good for us. We need a great week of work, but overall we’re in a good place.

Coach, with the running back room so deep, do you go with the hot hand or keep a rotation?

It’s a mix. The main thing is making sure the right guys are touching the football. Sometimes a guy gets hot and you ride him, but we also don’t want one player carrying too much of the load. Splitting carries will be huge. We want fresh, fast bodies, and we’ve got the depth to do that.

Coach, players have talked about how much they love Isaac (Smith) and the leadership he provides. How important is it to have him going into your second year?

I’ve said it since media days: he loves Mississippi State and loves playing football. He plays the game the right way, and that’s huge for us. We need that kind of leadership. He’ll continue to provide it for us in a big way.

As a former offensive lineman, I’m sure you’re very involved with Coach Loadholt. What has he brought in the short time he’s been here?

The detail, the toughness, the edge, the physicality. He’s coaching guys to play the way he did and the way the position has to be played to give us a chance to win. There’s a lot of familiarity between us. We both knew what we were getting, and it’s been great to be back together.

Coach, you’ve talked about the defensive line this offseason. Now that it’s game week, how excited are you to see them in live action?

We’ve gotten a bunch of guys back recently, and that room is healthy right now. That’s exciting. I think we’ve got the ability to rotate guys, keep them fresh and fast, and that’ll be a big part of Saturday morning. I’m excited to see them cut it loose.

Coach, Blake (Shapen) gets his official return this Saturday. What has he meant to the program over the last 10 months?

I couldn’t be more proud of him and how he’s responded. After what he went through last year, to see him now, the leadership he shows, the consistency he brings every day, it’s huge. You always know what you’re going to get from him. He’s grown a lot in year two of the offense. I’m excited for him, our team, our program, and our fans to see him back out there.

One thing I’ve heard from the defense is how much more together they feel as a group this year. What have you seen from them in terms of chemistry?

The biggest thing I’ve noticed is in walkthroughs. The urgency in how they communicate, align, and get everyone on the same page. There’s a real sense of togetherness. They’ve really taken to coach (Coleman Hutzler)'s energy and passion. There’s been great buy-in, and I’m excited to see them play well on Saturday.

Coach, Albert Reese is listed at left tackle, but he’s played some right tackle and guard too. What did you see from him at that spot?

We’re going to rotate at that position. Multiple guys will play there, and a couple will play different positions in the same game. They’re experienced enough to handle it. We’re still working daily to make sure the right guys are in the right spots. That’s our job as coaches. As we get closer, we’ll dial in the exact rotation for Saturday.

Obviously everyone wants to win the opener, but what else would you like to see from your team this week?

I want to see our guys play with incredible effort and physicality, execute well, and play clean. That’s winning football. If we can walk off the field 1-0 and know we played disciplined, avoiding pre-snap penalties, taking care of the football, and winning hidden yardage in special teams, that’ll make me very happy.

Kickoff between Mississippi State and Southern Miss is set for 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN.