Everything Jeff Lebby said Sunday ahead of Battle for the Golden Egg

The 122nd edition of the Battle for the Golden Egg is five days away and both Mississippi State and Ole Miss head coaches will hold their weekly press conferences.

One head coach's press conference will draw in more viewers than a NBA game, but that'll come on Monday.

On Sunday, Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby held his press conference that didn't feature any mention of the coaching drama going on in Oxford with Lane Kiffin. Here's everything that Lebby said on Sunday:

On the bye week...

I don't feel like we had talked about on Wednesday, we had a great no sweat Thursday on Thursday with being able to get a ton of our game plan in. I think which is huge that way. When our guys were able to get away, man, they still had the install and could circle back to it as they were away for a day and a half. And then as we got in the building this morning, man, great urgency and great awareness of what's in front of us and excited as heck about Friday morning.

On the benefit of having players with Egg Bowl experience...

We've got a bunch of staff members that played here and that played inside this game and understand what it's about. So I think the more you can talk about that part of it and guys that have come before and have played in between the white lines in this game and as they have the ability to communicate to our guys that maybe haven't been here long and don't know the history as much as some of the others. I think it's great for our entire football team to, again, understand the urgency, what's at stake. And you do, you see the guys that are from our state that have played in this game, man, there's great pride in how we go do what we do on Friday morning.

On having more to play for than the Golden Egg...

I think our guys understand we've got a ton to play for. We've got a ton out in front of us. We have the opportunity to hit two huge goals for us as a program in year two, again, is exciting for us. And our guys understand, man, what's at stake, and it is, it's about us. It's about us maximizing every day from a preparation standpoint to give ourselves a chance to be able to go 1-0 on Friday morning in a huge game with a great atmosphere and a lot at stake.

On Ole Miss's defense...

They have definitely gotten better as the year has gone on. It's a group that, again, has been really good situationally. They've been great on third downs and getting off the field. Us finding ways to run the football enough and be effective in the run game to give us some good situations I think will be key. Us taking great care of the football will be key. But I would think as they sit there, man, they're probably going to try like heck to limit the explosives in the throw game and the run game.

On what rivalry means to him personally...

For me, it's about, again, this year there's a ton to play for, getting bowl eligible. But the rivalry part of it is, again, our fan base, our community, our university, our program, understanding that there's a lot that goes into this. And for a calendar year, understanding the momentum it gives us the ability to create from a recruiting standpoint, I think is a huge thing. And those are the things that we're constantly looking at, talking about and understanding, man, find a way to be 1-0 this Friday. And it's going to mean a lot to our program, our university, and community.

On last year's Egg Bowl experience and week's schedule...

I think as I went into it, had a pretty good understanding and idea of what it was going to be. Again, being on the other side of it, have lived the game before. And so, there was some awareness of what we were getting into. And for us now, today was obviously a Monday for us. Tomorrow turns into a Tuesday, and so on and so forth, as we get ready for Friday morning.

On Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss...

The guy just makes a ton of timely plays. And he can extend, he can create, he does things in the run game that really make it hard for you. And then the way he's been able to throw the football around and make the plays when he's needed to, is impressive. For a guy that got there so late, has never played inside this league, he belongs, he's been a big time player, and has given them the ability to have the season that they're having.

On Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy and Rebels' run game...

They've played with really good balance. Their run game right now is as good as it's been all year long. The back is a guy that can create a ton of explosives, great top end speed. And then the QB being involved in the run game, it does, it makes it tougher. So, for us, I talked about this a little bit last week. We got to tackle really well. When we get into one on one situations, we've got to find ways to get guys on the ground. We got to get 11 hats to the football. And that for us is going to be where it starts from a tackling standpoint. It's going to be a huge piece of it Friday morning.

On benefit to team morale and recruiting to have Golden Egg in lobby...

I don't think you can measure it. I really don't. It is, it's a huge deal for us. Again, as we're continuing to build this thing the way I want, and we want to give us the ability to sustain. Man, it's a huge deal to find a way to go 1-0. And talked a little bit about it earlier, but there's this great amount of momentum that will come with that. And I want our fans to be incredibly proud about having the ability to be 1-0 on Friday.

On injury status of WR Brenen Thompson and S Isaac Smith...

I do not. We'll let the injury report speak to it.

On RB Fluff Bothwell...

I think today he feels the best he's felt in a long time. I think last week was huge for him, again, to be able to take just a few days off after he was banged up again coming out of the game against Missouri. So, he does, he feels good, had a really good day today. He'll be a huge part of it for us on Friday.

Early thoughts on transfer portal needs...

When you look at us defensively, obviously the safety position with those three guys, being seniors and not being back with J-Man and Braylo and Hunt, guys that played, man, almost every snap for us this year. So that'll be a big piece of it. The D-line, without a doubt, having the ability to go add some great pieces on our edges I think will be really, really important, losing both Jax and Leak and B-Gen and then a couple of guys inside. So that's where it's at defensively.

I think offensively when you look at it. Man, it is, it's going to be about the offensive line. It's going to be about finding starters that can come in here and have this great impact, and guys that have played inside this league and have had real success. I think that's where the stress is for us offensively. I think we've got some really good young players, but that's where we've got to be able to go attack and get what we need.

On Egg Bowl also being Senior Day...

Friday morning is going to be about being one and all. We're going to go through Senior Day in pregame. I never, ever want to minimize what our group of seniors has meant to us and to this football team and this program. Again, as we're building this thing, there's a bunch of guys that have been here and there's plenty of guys that hadn't been here very long. So, for those guys, man, being able to finish the right way is critical. Give those guys an opportunity to have a happy locker room, to get that golden egg back in Stark, Vegas, and being able to keep it here would be really, really special for a lot of reasons, but those seniors being one of them.

On QB Blake Shapen preparing for first Egg Bowl...

For all of our guys, just the excitement of having the opportunity to, man, check a bunch of boxes. And I think that's our entire football team, really excited about a great opportunity Friday morning. All eyes on this football game, and Blake along with everybody else ready to take advantage of that.

On educating first-year Mississippi State players on Egg Bowl rivalry...

I think you mentioned it earlier, but guys that are inside our locker room that understand what this game means, that have played in it. And then, again, staffing for us, guys that have played in this game that now work here and can share stories about what their experience was. I think educating those guys as much as we can so that we understand exactly what it's going to be like when we go kick it off.