Jeff Lebby explains his feelings on Mississippi State's challenging schedule

Mississippi State has not won a game since they opened up the season with a 56-7 win over Eastern Kentucky. Losing five straight games since ahead of their matchup this weekend against No. 14 Texas A&M, the third straight ranked opponent on the Bulldogs’ schedule.

It won’t get much easier for Mississippi State this season in the SEC, also slated to face three straight ranked teams to end the regular season. But hard times make strong men, which first-year head coach Jeff Lebby addressed when asked about his team’s challenging schedule.

“I think again, for us you learn exactly who you are and where you’re at every single step of the way,” Lebby said. “And so understanding that inside this league you get to do it against the best every single Saturday, and as a competitor man-to-man, that’s exactly what you want.”

There’s no question that Lebby is learning about what his team is made of on a weekly basis as he looks to establish a culture in Stakville. Even battling adversity beyond fearsome opponents with several injuries across their roster including a season-ending one to starting quarterback Blake Shapen.

“So for us to be able to go out and just find a way to have a happy locker room, go 1-0, man that’s our focus, that’s the intent,” Lebby said. “But so many lessons have been learned over the last couple of weeks and that won’t change.”

Who takes the field for Mississippi State and their opponent may change from week to week, but the mindset stays the same for Lebby and his squad. Who did outscore Georgia in the second half of their most recent game on the road to lose 41-31 against a team that’s won two of the last three national titles.

The Bulldogs will seek their first SEC win of the season this Saturday against the Aggies in a matchup kicking off at 4:15 p.m. ET, airing on SEC Network, and streaming on Fubo.