WATCH: Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby previews Saturday's spring game

On Saturday, Mississippi State will put the finishing touches on the first spring session under head coach Jeff Lebby. It’s been a new adventure on both sides of the ball for the Bulldogs with a new staff and a lot of new faces on the practice field.

Following Thursday’s practice, Lebby met with the media to talk about spring practice while previewing the Maroon and White game on Saturday:

Q: What has stuck out to you the most in previous spring scrimmages?
Lebby: I think the way our guys have continued to compete, strain and play with the effort and toughness that we want them to. That is something for me that has definitely stuck out on both sides of the ball. There’s been a bunch of give and take and back and forth, which ultimately is exactly what we want.

Q: What are you hoping to learn from the spring game on Saturday?
Lebby: You want guys to be able to go play free and fast. After 14 days of practicing and being on the grass with a bunch of meetings and a bunch of different installs, you want to see how they are going to respond on their own when there’s nobody on the field but them. And we try to do that as much as we can in scrimmages but still, this will be different on Saturday. So we want to see how guys go respond.

Q: How much do you want them to take this spring and carry it over to the summer?
Lebby: We want them to go play. We want them to go compete and make the play when they have the opportunity to make the play because it is going to be something to build on.

Q: Do you want to see the competition in 1s and 2s rather than a split-squad situation?
Lebby: I think you’re going to have the ability to see units work together. That’s important, especially in Year 1. Those guys being able to be on the field together, communicate together, is something that will be important for us.

Q: With a first-year staff, what advantages are there to put the product out there on Saturday going into the fall and building excitement?
Lebby: I think that’s important. It’s most important to one, come out of it healthy and two, the evaluation for us to see guys go do it on their own. I am not going to put a ton of stock in anything else until we get going Week 1.

Q: What have you seen from left tackle Makylan Pounders from the start of spring ball to the end?
Lebby: He’s gotten better and taken to the challenge that this guy’s got a chance to be a special player. Him getting to that point and being able to do it every single day and creating consistency for him, which has been really good to see. Got a ton of work to do but I like where he’s at right now.

Q: When you recruited Blake Shapen, did his injuries in the past factor in at all?
Lebby: Really it wasn’t. Here’s a guy that’s played a bunch of ball, he’s had a bunch of production. He’s been really good at times and there’s been times where there’s been struggles for him. So I love the fact that he’s got a story. I love the fact that he’s had to live it and go do it. You also have to look at the part of the system and what he’s being asked to do and what he’s going to get asked to do in this system. So I am excited about where he’s going to end up.

Q: How creative can you be with a guy like Stonka Burnside?
Lebby: He can do a lot of different things. When you look at him, he’s really got the body of a running back but he’s got the ability to play out on the perimeter. Just being able to move him around and do some different things, get a good evaluation of how much we are going to be able to put on him when that time comes.

Q: How much can you take away from the players and from yourself in your first spring game?
Lebby: I think it is a good run through for us, I really do, for all of us. We just went over to the stadium, walked through what pre-game is going to look like. It’s going to be completely different for everybody that’s not me. So for them, being able to understand exactly what it’s going to look like, what the expectation is for pre-game, in the locker room, all those different things that go into playing really, really well. We got a chance to do that today and obviously, get a chance to do it Saturday, which will be good.

Q: What do you want to show the fans Saturday?
Lebby: I want to show them that we are going to play fast. We’re going to be fearless, we’re going to be physical in everything that we do. I want to put a product on the field that people are excited about. Those are the things I want them to be able to turn the tape on, turn the TV on and say they play with great effort, physicality and execution. That’s what we’re looking for and that’s the same thing as Tuesday in practice and Saturday in the spring game.

Q: What have you seen out of tight end Seydou Traore this spring?
Lebby: He can do a lot of different things. I think that tight end room has really progressed. There’s some quality depth in there, guys that are going to be able to make plays for us and be really good on the perimeter and the block game. I like where that room has grown. We got a lot of work to continue to do but Seydou is going to be a huge piece of that.

Q: Why did you feel like Cliff Odom was the right guy to be your special teams coordinator?
Lebby: I think it’s very important for that guy to have a great personality and understands how to touch every part of the team. They’ve got more in a position meeting than any position group there is. They’ve got to have a voice that’s connected. They’ve got to have a great eye to evaluate all types and positions. I felt like with Cliff and our history, and knowing who he is, was going to be the right guy for the job.

Q: Have you seen an aggressive team out there this spring?
Lebby: We have. We have to continue that and that is something in how we coach, how we coach, how we do what we do. That will be a huge part of what makes us us.

Q: How much of a measuring stick is Saturday when it comes to competition at different positions?
Lebby: I don’t see it being any different than it was this past Saturday. The difference is they are truly going to be on their own. But at the end of the day, last Saturday, the Saturday before and the Saturday before that, were great live looks at who they are. We’ve gotten great evaluation of that. So I don’t think Saturday is going to be something that makes this huge difference where they are at. But we do want to see guys go operate at a high level and go execute.

Q: How does the ongoing transfer portal affect conversations between you and the players and your staff?
Lebby: Just understanding that things are fluid. There’s a lot going on. There’s a lot of moving pieces right now. We’ve got to do a great job of keeping our guys focused on having a great day tomorrow, have a great day on Saturday. Obviously, we will have exit meetings with all of our guys at the beginning of next week and before we hit the road to go recruiting. It’s fluid, for sure.