WATCH: Head coach Jeff Lebby previews Saturday's matchup at Arizona State

Fresh off a 56-7 season-opening win over Eastern Kentucky, Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby held his weekly press conference Monday at the Seal Complex. The Bulldogs hit the road this weekend for the initial time this season with a trip to Arizona State, who opened the season with an easy win over Wyoming.

Lebby updated his team’s injury situation while also discussing the Arizona State squad among other topics on Monday:

Q: A lot of coaches say the biggest improvements by their team is from Week 1 to Week 2. Do you feel that to be true?
Lebby: I think at times that’s been true throughout my career at different stops. For us, it is making sure we are learning lessons through victory. I think with the guys as they showed back up in the building this morning and as they were around yesterday for treatment and to get a meal, our guys have great intent inside these walls right now. We look to improve in a bunch of different areas. There’s stuff all over the tape that we’ve got to continue to clean up.

We missed some opportunities, offensively, when you look at it. In the first half we had opportunities where on back-to-back drives we end up not scoring points on a fourth-down non-conversion. We punt on fourth and one there at midfield, really because of the weather. So you look at those two drives and you got a chance to be up 49-0 at half and we really should’ve been. So really understanding those lessons inside those two drives is huge.

Defensively, that two-minute drive right before the half. Having the ability to get off the field on some really third-down situations. We forced them into another third and 7 down there on the seven and being able to get off the field or holding them to a field goal. Some incredible teaching points inside that moment. So all kinds of different things that we have the opportunity to clean up. We look forward to getting better, playing better and preparing better. That’s what we’re trying to get done.

Q: What is the schedule for this week?
Lebby: Monday we clean up the game from the previous week and then we jump right into Arizona State. So it’s that balance of cleaning the game and making sure we’ve addressed everything we need to from the game. Get that cleaned up and then get started on the next opponent.

What I see is a group from Arizona State that played with a ton of confidence, a ton of energy. There was great excitement inside their stadium and we’ve got a great challenge on our hands. Being able to go out there, play on the west coast, 9:30 kickoff for us. Our guys have to do an incredible job of preparing. We as coaches have to put them in position for success. We have a a great challenge on our hands and we look forward to it.

Q: After reviewing the film, your thoughts on the run game in the opener?
Lebby: Hit and miss. We left a lot out there. Whether it was not leveraging a block correctly, not having one more press in our rotation at running back, something different every single time. You look at the stat line and the stat line for rush yards looks really good for us only because of a couple of explosives. So we were streaky. We need to have more consistency inside the run game and that’s what we’re striving for this week.

Q: Do you have an update on Kalvin Dinkins?
Lebby: He’s doing a lot better today than he was yesterday. He was a lot better yesterday than he was Saturday night. So right now got a chance to travel with us and go play. I think it’s going to be a game-time decision for him.

Q: And Kelly Akharaiyi?
Lebby: Kelly is getting closer and closer. We need to be patient with him. Hopeful for him to be able to have a good week and create some confidence for himself more than anything. But not ready to say he’s going to be available yet.

Q: Your thoughts on the SEC rule with the new injury reports?
Lebby: For us, that’s going to be the rule so that’s how we’re going to go play ball. We will comply, obviously, and we’ve got a great team that will put that in place and put the plan in action. We will start that once conference play starts.

Q: How much of a measuring stick is this week going to be for you to see where your team is?
Lebby: I think it’s going to be a great measuring stick. Again, you look at Arizona State and the way they played in all three phases Saturday night. Just an incredibly dominant performance over a well-coached, tough Wyoming football team. You watch the tape and see these guys are a completely different football team than they were a year ago. So for us, having the mentality and mindset to be able to go in and play with great detail. Our effort, execution and physicality at the end of the day is what will give us an opportunity to go win. It’s a great measuring stick for us to see where we are at.

Q: With the late kickoff, are there any modifications the team is taking for this week?
Lebby: For our guys, just knowing what we are getting into. We talked about that yesterday morning and having those conversations about what it’s going to look like late in the week. We’ve got to do a great job from a preparation standpoint. How we’re hydrating, how we’re eating, how we’re resting to give us the ability to go on the road and be at our best Saturday night.

Q: Arizona State is multiple on offense. How involved are you with that aspect of preparing?
Lebby: Just watching film and having familiarity with them is the biggest thing. Coleman (Hutzler) and I talk throughout the week. He’s putting the plan together. The defensive staff is putting the plan together and he’s going to go call the game, obviously, and go put us in position for success. Just me having familiarity to be able to talk personnel with guys at any point and time. That’s the biggest thing.

I’ve watched them on offense. The quarterback makes a ton of plays off rhythm and he’s an athletic guy that’s played a bunch of ball. He’s a guy that has a chance to be a great player and a guy we’ve got to do a good job of getting on the ground. They’ve got some dynamic skill players that can do some things when they get the ball in space. It will be about open-field tackling. It will be about creating turnovers and then going and playing sound football.

Q: What were your impressions of Arizona State’s defense?
Lebby: Those guys played with incredible energy and excitement. They ran to the football in a really good way, impressive way. They’ve got those guys playing with confidence, with energy and it’s all over the table. We’ve got to do a good job of matching that and surpassing that.

Q: Your thoughts on linebacker Branden Jennings and his first game at Mississippi State?
Lebby: We talked about this a lot during fall camp. This is a guy that plays the game the way you want it to be played. He plays incredibly hard. He’s got to continue to play clean from an assignment standpoint. Doing a great job of playing inside the scheme and if he will do that, he will continue to make plays and be a force for us as we get further and further into the season. Proud of where he is right now and excited about what he’s got a chance to do for us.

Q: Other than cleaning things up, are there any other messages you have for your team heading into this week?
Lebby: It will stay really consistent. We’ve got to take incredible care of the football. We got to make sure the ball is not on the ground like it was the other night. That is a huge stress. We were very fortunate the other night to get back on top of the football when it was on the ground. Again, our guys learning lessons through victory and understanding it’s a very fine line being on the right side or wrong side of things. So stressing that every single day but taking care of the football and going and getting the football. Making game-changing play on special teams. Those are going to be things we continue to talk about and being exactly who we are supposed to be, playing with great detail and great effort and physicality. That is what will give us a chance to go win.

Q: Seydou Traore recovered a couple of those fumbles and seemed to always be around the play. How proud were you of his efforts there?
Lebby: Seydou was around the ball. He got on two of them and Mario Craver got on the third. To me, showing what kind of teammate you are when you don’t have the football in your hands. That’s Seydou being around the ball the entire time. Again, he did a great job of getting on it and giving us a chance to go snap it again, offensively. But we got to keep it off the ground.

Q: As a young guy, how much has Mario Craver surprised you?
Lebby: He did not surprise me at all on Saturday. What he did through fall camp and some of the things he’s been able to get done. In the spring, you saw flashes and in fall camp we saw incredible consistency. So with him, nothing he did on Saturday surprised me. He’s got a chance to be an elite player for us for a long time.

Q: Do you think Craver’s success motivates other young guys on the team?
Lebby: Yeah I think when you have young guys that practice the way he practices and is really dialed in with the game plan, really understands football and spends time continuing to learn what to do, of course that inspires teammates. Then to be able to go play and execute in the moment as a true freshman should create confidence in a lot of guys. He’s got to continue to get better every single day but he’s one that’s got a real chance.

Q: What did you see on the missed field goal?
Lebby: I saw the snap. Very uncharacteristic of Hayes (Hammond). Something he has not done at all during spring and fall camp. I know he was incredibly frustrated with that. We have to have clean execution on that and that was disappointing. But I have all the faith in Hayes to be able to clean it up.

Q: How do you go about naming your players of the game?
Lebby: We will put it out on social (media) every single Monday and we announced those guys this morning and pushed it out on social.