WATCH: Head coach Jeff Lebby previews season opener against Eastern Kentucky

Game week has finally arrived for Mississippi State as the Bulldogs are set to open the season Saturday against Eastern Kentucky with a 5 p.m. kickoff at Davis Wade Stadium.

On Monday, head coach Jeff Lebby held his weekly press conference to discuss the season opener among other topics:

Q: Looking at the depth chart, it appears a couple of names are not listed?
Lebby: With those three guys, I’ll start with Kelly (Akharaiyi) and Corey (Ellington). Both of those guys have been dinged up, fought some things through fall camp. So they won’t be available this week. We will continue to look at their situation as we get into the season, hopefully get those guys back sooner than later. Pitt (Jeffery Pittman) is actually a guy no longer with us right now. I won’t get into the details of that internal matter but those three guys, that is why you don’t see them on the depth chart.

Q: Will you have captains for the season or a game-by-game basis?
Lebby: They will be individual games. We will actually announce that every Friday and put that out on social (media) every single Friday.

Q: Keyvone Lee is listed as the starting running back. What has impressed you about him?
Lebby: His consistency. What he’s done for himself and for us as we’ve gotten to this point. He’s been a guy that’s had great consistency, he really has. He’s played with really good toughness. He’s an older guy and a guy that we are going to count on. Davon (Booth) is another guy listed as ‘or’ and he’s going to play a ton for us and our hope is he’s going to have a great season with Johnnie (Daniels) getting a lot of action, as well. Feel good about those three guys. I think we are much, much improved from the spring to now at that position, which is good.

Q: How concerned are you with Kelly Akharaiyi being dinged up?
Lebby: I won’t get too much into it. But Kelly’s a guy that’s had all this production and has played a lot of ball, played a lot of snaps. So concerned from that standpoint. There’s some young guys in the room I’ve talked about through fall camp that have a chance to be really, really good players. They just haven’t done it. Having Trent (Hudson) get here this summer was huge for us. That is a guy that has a lot of production, has played a lot of ball. So that’s huge him being here. He’s had a really good fall camp. We’ve got piece in that room to go play the way we need to be able to and hopefully we will get Kelly back as soon as possible.

Q: From a position standpoint from the start of camp to now, which group made the most progress?
Lebby: I’ve talked about this a little through fall camp. But I think where we’re at up front from an offensive line standpoint, where we were on Jan. 15th in comparison to where we are today, man, it’s just two completely worlds. A credit to the guys in the room. Again, Cody (Kennedy) has done a great job leading that group. I’m excited for them to go out and play the way we need them to play for us to do what we need to do. We got to play winning football up front. That’s how this league is built and we understand that and I’m excited about that group.

Q: Being a first-time head coach, is there anything you’ve learned so far?
Lebby: I think I’ve learned a ton. Hopefully, continue to learn a ton as we go through it. What you understand being seven or eight months into this thing, regardless it is still the first time doing it for the entire program. Going to the hotel on Friday night will be our first time doing that together and staying there. We tried to replicate that by what we did in the mock game last week but it’s still going to be the first time we get to go do it together. It’s a bunch of firsts. I do love the fact we’ve got so many guys that got here in January and then a good group of guys that got here this summer. They’ve bought into the connection piece of who we are and that’s probably been the most fun as a head coach, making sure we got a team and guys that care about each other, love to go play the game and gonna represent State the right way on Saturdays.

Q: How much with the Ball brothers (Justin and Cam) be involved with the tight ends room?
Lebby: It’s been huge. For us, and I’ve talked a little bit about it with us up front offensively, but the tight end position will forever be a huge piece of what we do. From a production standpoint but also from a scheme standpoint and being able to create some different mismatches and be able to create a lot of different pictures. Seydou (Traore) has done an incredible job. Justin Ball has had a great a camp. Guy is going to play a ton of football for us. This is a big, physical dude that loves to play ball and another one that has played a lot of football.

I can’t say that enough as we go into Year 1. Guys that have played a lot, we’re going to lean on. They’ve both done a really good job and Cam might be as improved as other guys we have inside our locker room from spring ball to right now. He’s got to continue to strain and be physical every day. He’s a guy I think has a chance to have a big future here.

Q: How do you get your guys to play cohesive as a group against an FCS opponent in the opener?
Lebby: I think for us and we talked about it this morning. Our guys understand it’s the biggest game of the year because it’s the next game. How we’re going to prepare and how we’re going to operate never needs to change. When we talk about preparation and getting ready to play someone, that’s got to be advantage us. What we do Monday to Friday has to be advantage us with the time we spend in the building to how we practice. All those things that give us confidence are reps we get throughout the week. So I think straining that, stressing that is huge. Hopefully we go put it on tape and put it on TV Saturday night the way we all think we will.

Q: You are facing a two-quarterback look this weekend from a team that returns a lot of depth up front. What’s the scout process been like for Eastern Kentucky?
Lebby: With who they just named as the starter – a big pocket guy that threw for over 2,000 yards last year at Western Illinois and a guy with really good accuracy – we’re planning on seeing him more than anyone else. As we get into it I do think there’s a chance we see a couple of them, obviously. But as we look at it, it will be about finding ways to stop the run, not give up explosive plays and then create turnovers. If we will do those things we’re going to like the outcome of how we play defense.

Q: Your thoughts on the new rules with the communication in the helmets?
Lebby: I think it’s really good. I think it’s been great being able to use it all spring and in fall camp so that we get used to it and so Blake (Shapen) understands the expectations between plays and understands the communication piece along with Stone (Blanton) and Coleman (Hutzler) on defense. I love having the ability to communicate with the guys. I love the fact that the in-game adjustments, our guys are going to be able to see themselves in the moment, which I think is really good if you approach it the right way to get things fixed and be able to get to some different things.

Q: What do you think will be the biggest challenge for you on Saturday?
Lebby: I think there’s going to be a ton of emotion. I do and I don’t think there’s any doubt about it. You build up to this point and it being Year 1 of laying the foundation. Our guys are going to be incredibly excited to play. My hope for them and we’ve talked a ton about it, but making sure we’re not using energy on things that don’t matter and finding ways to make sure our energy is used in a way that will help us go win the football game and go play the way we need to play.

Q: Most fans are expecting a rebuilding year. What do you think of expectations like that?
Lebby: I’ve talked a ton about this but for us, we want to look up after the last week of the season and get ready to go to a bowl game. We want to be trending up. I think it’s important for people to say Mississippi State is trending the right way. They got the right guy. They play with great energy and passion and toughness. They love playing for each other and that’s what I want people to say about our football team and program in Year 1. I don’t think there’s a game total or win total that you put on that. It’s just trending up and we’re getting ready to go play a bowl game and win a bowl game.

Q: When that moment comes when you reflect on your first game and how far you’ve come in your career, who or what will be on your mind?
Lebby: I think for me, our players that have come before us and the coaches that have come before me and understanding I’m just the keeper of the room right now, knowing and hopefully it is a long time from now that there’s somebody else that will lead this program. What I want to do is make sure I leave it better than I found it and fighting every single day to get that done and get that accomplished is my goal for our fanbase and our university and everybody I go to work with every single day. I’m sure that point will come. Right now it seems a long way away. But I’m excited to be able to lead our football team down that tunnel Saturday evening.

Q: With Jeffery Pittman out, how much urgency is there to get freshman Xavier Gayten up to speed in order to play?
Lebby: You will see Xavier at some point Saturday. He’s done a great job. He is a young physical dude that loves to play the game. He plays the game the way it’s supposed to played. You’ve heard me say that with some of our guys. To me that’s a credit to who they are and how they’re built. But Xavier has done a great job. B Will (Brinston Williams) is another guy who’s had a really good fall camp, done some good things on special teams. So from a depth standpoint, I think we’re in a good spot.

Q: Have you seen the results of the strength and speed coaches since you’ve been here
Lebby: Bottom line we’re a faster football team than we were in January. Inside our league and the way we’re gonna play and what we’re gonna do, in all three phases speed matters. I love what we’re doing with the ‘Fast as Hail’ and our guys understanding the game with great speed and aggression is going to be who we are. The development inside our speed program since January has been phenomenal and our guys will continue to get better in that phase.

Q: At one of the linebacker competition, what have you seen from Ty Cooper and Branden Jennings?
Lebby: Ty Cooper brings great consistency and toughness and edge, and a guy that loves our university and loves playing the game. Branden is a guy that is really talented and has really heavy hands. He’s a guy that has a chance to be a really good play. You see some great flashes from both of them, trying to create consistency non-stop. Both of those guys are going to play a ton for us. Excited about having two guys at that position that can go roll and be really fresh.

Q: What’s your experience in Starkville been like so far?
Lebby: It’s been humbling. Hopefully everybody that’s had the opportunity to come in contact with me and my family knows how thankful we are to have the opportunity and seen us trying to connect. I think that is one of the coolest things about where we live and where I get to work every single day, there’s this incredible amount of connection. There’s an incredible amount of community and people that have great love for our university. For me, man, that’s fun to be a part of it. It’s been humbling and we’re just getting started. Let’s hope this is the first of a whole bunch of them.