Everything head coach Jeff Lebby said during Tuesday's press conference

Mississippi State is currently in the middle of the first of two bye weeks for the 2024 season. The Bulldogs opened the year with a 1-4 record and have dropped both SEC outings, as well.

On Tuesday, head coach Jeff Lebby met with the media to discuss this week’s schedule along with other topics:

Q: What were your thoughts on the Texas loss and moving forward this week?
Lebby: Just finding ways, instead of the game being 14-6 with a little bit of time in the third quarter, finding a way to take the next step and go grab victory. That’s the reality of it. We’ve talked a ton about it. This is a game we had a ton of opportunities against not a good but a great football team. Disappointed and frustrated with the outcome of the game. We’ve got to continue to build on the positives and we got to fix the things that are keeping us from taking that next step.

Q: How much better is it now to coach Michael Van Buren off game film instead of just practice?
Lebby: You’ve got to go live it. The experience part of it, you can’t buy it. You got to go live it. That’s something for Mike that’s going to be huge moving forward, create great growth for him. Understanding some of the good things that he did and some of the things where we had a chance to play a lot cleaner. He knows that, he understands that and he’s answered the bell in a great way.

Q: What is the next step for Van Buren on the football field?
Lebby: It’s just controlling the atmosphere, controlling the entire unit every single snap. There’s so much that goes into it whether it’s formation, a motion, a cadence or whatever it is, and you got to go execute the play. All the things that we got to do in a really clean way to give us a chance, once we snap the ball we got to be perfect in those areas. Because post-snap, there’s going to be things that change up every single week. There’s going to be physical things that we want back but that’s part of playing the game. Our pre-snap process has got to be perfect.

Q: What are your recruiting plans for the rest of the week?
Lebby: We feel like we’re in a pretty good spot from a recruiting standpoint. We got hopefully some positive things that are going to happen here sooner than later. We’ve got some great guys in the boat. For us, we’re going to be out on the road Thursday and Friday, going to see a bunch of our guys, a bunch of our commits and some other position needs.

Q: What is the team’s schedule the rest of the week?
Lebby: We will have another heavy practice tomorrow and get after it. We will be full pads and have a great day. Then Thursday we will have a great lift and meet, and find a way to make sure we’re doing a really good job of getting our legs back, being fresh and fast. Next Saturday in Athens is going to be absolutely critical. I’ve talked to the guys about having great intent as we’ve been in the building today and yesterday, and making sure we were addressing the things we need to address to take that next step and not go play close.

Q: What is the next step for the offensive line?
Lebby: For them and we talked about it in the team meeting this morning, find ways to finish in better body positions. Again, we had it at the right people all day. We did some really good things and then at times, we were really inconsistent in just how we played fundamentally. Being able to finish on a couple of things are truly game-changing plays and that’s the stress of it. On 2nd and 4, we gain four yards where you have the opportunity to gain 40 yards and you don’t because of a body position I finished in. Stressing those things and understanding how critical they are in being on the right side and the wrong side.

Q: Your thoughts on Zakari Tillman and his first start, and how is he doing this week?
Lebby: He’s feeling good. He had a good day today. Proud of him for just staying the course. Zakari is going to be a great player for us. He’s a young player that hasn’t played a ton of ball but a guy that plays the game you want it to be played. He’s got to dial in to detail but a young man that’s going to have a great career here.

Q: Do you think the start of the season has had a negative impact on recruiting?
Lebby: We’re trying to do everything we can to make sure the guys we are recruiting understand what’s going on in the building with the belief and the buy-in and the energy and the culture that has been created and is going to continue as we’re in the building. The results have not been anything that we expected or that we want. But from a relationship standpoint and a connection standpoint, the guys we are recruiting understand that there is a realness inside ou building that people are going to want to be part of.

Q: Did you see both sides of the line of scrimmage improve in the Texas game?
Lebby: Really in the Dline, in the first three quarters of the game we played our butt off. We played really good and played incredible defense in the first three quarters of the game, good enough to go win the game. There’s no doubt about it. We want to clean some things up on that last defensive drive for Texas, obviously. I am proud of the guys for staying the course and continuing to get better. I thought we saw improvement. We’ve got to build off the things that were good but we’ve got to take the next step and that’s what we’re fighting to do.

Q: Your thoughts on the punting of Nicholas Barr-Mira?
Lebby: Nic’s been great, he really has. He’s done a heck of a job for us. Proud of him for doing what he’s doing. Don’t want to have to use him as much but he’s done a great job.

Q: What have you seen out of Johnnie Daniels?
Lebby: He’s just gotten better and better. Johnnie is a guy that the more reps he’s gotten in practice, the more reps he’s gotten in games, you see him have production. He’s got really good balance and really good vision. He’s a guy that I think has a chance to hit his stride on the back half of the season.

Q: What are your goals for the open week specifically?
Lebby: We talked about it in the team meeting being very intentional in what we’re doing on the practice field and making sure that we’re maximizing our time. I’m going to leave that to what went on in the team meeting and some of the things we talked about. But our guys know that there is a real plan and what we’re trying to get done over the next two days to be at our best next Saturday.

Q: Are redshirting decisions starting to be made now?
Lebby: It’s very fluid as we continue to talk through it. Every situation is a little different.

Q: Any update on De’Monte Russell?
Lebby: I don’t. We really won’t talk much about injuries stuff until we put the report out.