Everything Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby said about facing Ole Miss ahead of Egg Bowl

Friday brings the return of the Egg Bowl, one of college football’s oldest rivalry games, and with it the chance for No.15 Ole Miss to take out its frustrations form last Saturday’s debacle in The Swamp.

The Egg Bowl is also a reunion for Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin and former offensive coordinator now Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby.

Lebby left Oxford for Norman to become the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma after the 2021 season. But after two years leading the Sooner offense he was hired to come take over the Bulldogs in Starkville last offseason.

“I haven’t spoken to (Lebby) this year, I don’t think,” Kiffin said on Monday. “It is what it is. I think he said when he got the job, ‘It’s going to be a really fun Egg Bowl this year.’ Said he was really excited about it. I guess we’re excited, too.”

That was the only mention of Lebby by Kiffin or in a question during Monday’s press conference.

In Starkville Lebby fielded a few more questions about his former boss and also what challenges Ole Miss will provide in Friday’s game.

Here is everything Ole Miss related that Lebby said on Monday.

Thoughts on the Ole Miss pass rush and overall play by the defense.

Lebby: Yeah their rush defense is pretty good, as well. I think our guys understand and when you watch the tape, I don’t think there’s any question about it. The most talented roster we will have played all season long. It’s on the tape, exactly what it is from a personnel standpoint. We’ve got to find ways to finish in a great body position. We’ve got to fight and strain like heck to create air in the run game. Then we’ve got to give Mike (Van Buren) just enough time with some different things from a protection standpoint to give us a chance to go throw and catch.

His approach to his first Egg Bowl as a head coach.

Lebby: The day to day and how we practice, how we do what we do from a meeting standpoint, it is the exact same. But I do want our guys to have a heightened awareness and understanding of what this game means. It is a huge rivalry and that matters in a big way. I don’t take that lightly. I don’t take it for granted. I think it’s important for our guys to understand that. They understand the history of it but they also have to make sure they’re not getting emotionally hijacked by the energy and the atmosphere and what goes into it. We have the ability to go focus really small and go execute.

How he has seen the Ole Miss offense change since he left.

Lebby: I think they’ve just continued to grow in a way where they’re constantly trying to put their guys in position for success. Right now they’re throwing the football more than they normally have. They’ve run the ball incredibly well since (Lane Kiffin) has been there. Right now they’re throwing it around a little more than they have. I have a ton of respect of Lane and for what he’s done with the roster he’s built and the roster we’re getting ready to go play. I think one of their strengths is constantly putting guys in position for success. We’ve got to find ways to get the ball out. We got to find ways to get off the field on third down and be successful on first and second down to give us some good third-down situations.

Has he communicated with Kiffin during the season (which contradicts what Kiffin said above, just for transparency’s sake.)

Lebby: Not this week. We’ve traded texts throughout the season and had communication. As we’ve gotten into it, no, not this week. He will continue to find ways to have fun on social (media) and that’s who he’s always been and who he will always be. But no, I haven’t had a conversation this week.

What stands out to him about Jaxson Dart.

Lebby: His toughness, without a doubt. He can do a lot of things but the way this guy plays with incredible toughness, I do think it inspires their football team. I think guys play incredibly hard for him as a leader. That’s what it is all about. He can make all the throws. He can make things happen with his feet, obviously. But to me it’s about what he does to create inspiration for the guys around him. That’s a quarterback’s job. I think Mike has done a pretty good job of playing really tough and that’s probably the thing I’m most proud of with Mike. The way he’s gone about it and how tough he has played in some really hard moments.